Fuseiseki : Failure
by Devious.Intent
Summary: "She was the essence of light and purity. To be near her was to bask in her glow. To know her was like no other joy. They were the lions, but she was the pride." Follow Usagi and our Favorite Gundam boys on their newest journey, the defeat of Chaos, for once and all. *Contains some language, and mature situations.* Please read and review!
1. Chapter One : Impossibly Alone

_Disclaimer: I do Not Own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. As fervently as I wish I did. So don't sue, because all you'd be getting anyway is the lint in my pockets. I do however, own this plot, and I am very proud of it! So no stealing! 3 . :) _

**After her final battle with Chaos, Usagi, now Sailor Cosmos, is transported thousands of years into the future, to the time of the Gundam boys. With her ginshinzou missing and a new evil on the rise, can she survive without the aid of her senshi? And who are these boys with so much pain in their eyes? Could they be the key to her salvation? This is my first fanfiction in a long time, so Please comment and review! And enjoy! {AN: For those of you who have followed this story, the ending will come soon. I took it down to take care of some plot holes, and it is back on track. I will re post what was already there as fast as I can... So please be patient. :)}  
**

**...**

**Fuseiseki : Failure**

**Chapter One : Impossibly Alone**

**...**

"Iie..." Her voice broke, and she reached a blood covered hand towards her friends. "Minna Onegai..." Slowly, though covered in wounds and drained of everything but their will, they were standing. She sobbed, and dropped to her knees, and the voice that issued from her lips then barely sounded like her own. It was quiet, desperate. "You can't."

There was a presence behind her. She thought this absentmindedly, detached. But it did not stir, just watched as she crumpled into herself. She imagined it was amused by this. The thought was dissipated at a glow started at the chests of each of her friends. The beginning of the end was so bright, so beautiful, so misleading.

"We can." The first spoke. Rei. Her heart stopped. She looked so beaten, so weak. A pale image of her former self. "And we will." Her voice, it rang with a determination that made her heart flutter. So strong. Her protectors were so strong. Then, the princess of Mars grew soft. "I will miss you Odango. Don't let us down." She wanted to speak, to scream, to argue, but her voice caught in her throat like a stone.

"Usa-chan." Her eyes turned to Mina, whose once beautiful blond hair was plastered to her forehead with sticky blood. Her eyes glowered with love. It hurt to look into them. "I believe in you." Her heart was breaking. Splitting to pieces. **Not again. It wasn't fair.** "You can do this."

"We all believe in you." Ami was so quiet it took a moment for her to register the words. Things were getting blurry. She could not stop the tears. A sob that sounded almost inhuman escaped her lips. "Don't cry Usagi-chan. We are always with you." **Wasn't that the problem? Always with her, always dying for her...**

"You are never alone, because we live in you heart." Her eyes shifted to Makoto. The gash on her side did not allow her to stand straight, but she still looked every bit of the princess of Thunder. "Never forget us. Be strong." It was cold. There was a numbness creeping into her chest. **Not like this. Onegai.**

"You were always the glue that held us all together." Haruka held Michiru up. Forever strong, never yielding. "Never doubt your strength, Koneko." The tears stopped. She supposed she didn't have any left to cry. **Why always like this? Always Goodbye? **Her chest felt as if it was encased in ice.

"Dearest Hime." She cringed without meaning to. That title had caused all their problems, all their pain. She wished she'd never been reborn. Never hurt them so. "May you find joy in the ocean waves. In the caress of the wind. And know we are with you." **Joy. Did it exist anymore? **The numbness spread still. Her cheeks were wet with tears and blood, but her eyes were dry. The light that surrounded her senshi grew brighter.

"Usa-mama." Dear Sweet Hotaru. It hurt psychically to see them like this. **Why did it have to be this way? **"Aishiteru. Arigatou for being my friend. For believing in me." She wanted to move. To rush to them. To scream to the heavens that she loved them so much. But her mouth could not utter the words. The cold was creeping deeper. To the depths of her soul.

"Hime." Setsuna was the last to speak, As the lights that represented each of their respective planets grew so bright she had to squint to see her face among the green glow. "All will be well." If only that were true. **It would never be alright again. **"Save this beautiful world." For a moment, just the brief thump of one lone heartbeat, it was still. She gazed in awe at the beautiful women standing before her. They were Queens. Each had taken the form of the royal they were meant to be. They were gorgeous, and each looked down on her with nothing but love and adoration. Then the end started.

One by one, she watched as the starseeds of her friends tore themselves from their chests, floating there as silence reigned. She could not stop them. There was no arguing. They were doing what they had to to save her, and the world they all loved so much. **So noble. So gracious. So unfair. **

"Aishiteru Minna." She whispered it, but somehow knew they'd heard her. There was an affirmation that shot straight to her heart, there was no longer any need for words.

The end was bright flashes of light that hung, suspended in the air. They swirled for a moment around her prone form, and then burst into millions of pieces of light. One last tear made a path down her cheek, as she watched the emptied bodies of her protectors fall. Then, like a vacuum the lights coalesced, sucked into the gem that she wore at her breast.

The figure behind her chuckled. "You mean to stop me with sparkles? Sweet Serenity, I had thought you and your protectors smarter than that." She said nothing. " I wish I had a camera to take a picture of their useless, lifeless, bodies!"

It was meant to be a provocation, but if the lone figure had prophesied the results of this, perhaps he'd have bit his tongue. As his voice died down, A light started at her breast, and in mere seconds became so bright he had to shield his eyes. "Wha-?"

**...**

It was freezing. That was the first thing she noticed. But she wasn't uncomfortable. She opened eyes that she didn't know were closed, and in an instant, everything came back. Her eyes snapped to the bodies below her, but there was no feeling attached. No emotion to speak of. They laid at odd angles, bloodied and broken. She knew who they were. And though she could not feel the emotion, she knew her soul mourned the loss. Her eyes shifted to a figure that stood before them.

_^Chaos^ _It was a whisper in her mind, and at the sound of it, her jaw set. Bright silver eyes hardened. The object of her desire, stood confused, his shadowy arms covering the red glow of his eyes. Frozen in the moment she'd crossed dimensions. Her fists clenched. Her protectors, her sisters had not died in vain. Nor Mamouru, Galaxia, or the Sailor Fighters. This was over.

They had fought too many fights, died too many deaths. While the world looked on in ignorance, they gave of themselves again and again. Her failure to seal Chaos continued. Until today.

Fitting. She thought, staring at the moon's surface, the ruins of her once beautiful kingdom in the distance. The place of the beginning and the end. Chaos had led her here with the intent of making it her final resting place. How wrong he had been.

She stretched the beautiful white wings that had sprouted from her back, and raised a milky white hand, swiping it quickly in front of her. A rift appeared in the dimension before her, and eyes blazing, she stepped through.

**...**

"You would do well to show some respect." The voice was behind him, in front of him, everywhere. He forced himself not to move, but shifted his red eyes. His form was dark and amorphous, the edges fading and returning. He was sure that Moon Brat had just been kneeling before him. Now he could not pinpoint her location at all.

"So you live, Serenity." He knew his bravado was false. She did too. The voice was closer, louder.

"And breathe." He could not stop himself this time, his head searched frantically from side to side, and he spun in a circle. The edges of his shadowy body were evaporating. Signs he was nervous. Serenity laughed. He'd never had a chill before, but it happened then, at the sound that issued from her lips. It was cold, like winter's frost.

"They were wrong, you know." Her voice whispered around him, taunting him. He still couldn't even sense her. "They said they'd be with me always. But they were wrong."

In an instant she was before him. One blink of the eye had him staring at a radiant woman. Her hair was the silver of the full moon, her eyes silver as well, but slightly darker, and pupil-less. She wore a fuku that was pure white, with edges of gold and silver. Long ribbons of sheer gauzy color trailed from the skirt, all the colors of her senshi's planets. Beneath her clasped hands more colored ribbon escaped, her fingers delicately resting on the ginshinzou. Thigh-high white boots with more, thinner ribbon trailing from them, adorned her feet, though she did not stand. She floated, feet above the ground as he did, staring him in the eye. On her forehead shone a colorful eight pointed star. It was almost blindingly bright. "You are not Serenity." He whispered.

"I am all knowing. All seeing. All powerful." Her hands lifted from the broach and moved to her sides, and her fists clenched. He could not stop the shiver that ran through him. "Not Serenity, Nor Usagi. Not even Sailor Moon." She said. And then a smirk came to her stone cold face, and he was scared. It was an alien feeling."I am Cosmos. The Goddess of the Stars. I stand alone." A light started from the gem and her chest, and it was so bright he fought to keep his vision on her. "I am the beginning," The light enveloped him then, and his scream was cut short as she raised her arms, hair blowing in the wind her powers had created. She drew her hands back to her ginshinzou then, so quickly there was an audible 'snap'. "And I am the end."

...

The light that spilled from her crystal encompassed all. She watched with hard eyes as it burned what was left of Chaos away, and continued on. As it passed over her senshi, their bodies turned to fine dust, and when it reached the remains of the Moon Kingdom, that too was reduced to ashes. She felt the gem tug at her life force as it erased all evidence of herself, her senshi, the kingdom of the Moon, and their final battle. She wished, that it had been different. She had such hope for all their futures. For their kingdoms, their children, and Crystal Tokyo. It was all gone now. When they had given their starseeds they had given up any chance of being reborn. For the love of the world they had protected for so long, they had given their very souls. And she had lived up to their beliefs. She had sealed Chaos away again. But the price. It was just so high.

She felt sleepy then, detached. She accepted the numbness that crept into her limbs, and as her consciousness faded she whispered. "Aishiteru Minna. Arigatou for believing in me..." And then she was falling.

She didn't know it then, but she had fallen very far. Far from her own world, Usagi's world, and into a place that knew nothing of her kind. Smack dab in the middle of war.

Alone, Cosmos had been tossed upon another path to tip the scales in purity's favor. When she awoke, the battle for good would start anew...

**...**

{Thousands of years in the future... A.C. 198}

"Did you just see that?" Duo spoke over the com link of DeathScythe. The others were beneath him, pulling equipment from their black jeep and readying for their mission.

The had all paused to stare at the bright, pure light that had emanated from the moon. And watched as a single comet had broken from the glow and shot towards Earth.

It had taken only seconds, but the light was so dazzling Duo was seeing stars. "What was..." Quatre was cut off, as the comet hit the ground with a loud crack in the distance. "that?" He finished wide eyed.

"Hn." Hiiro cocked his magnum and spoke. "Continue with the mission. We will investigate later."

"Right." The pilots all spoke simultaneously.

"Ill be waiting." Duo said over his com. Hiiro nodded, and the men moved in on their current target, a small base of rebels Lucrezia Noin had sent them to check out. A new faction was starting, and they'd been called together yet again to try to prevent it.

They kept focused on their mission, but each couldn't help wondering just what had created that light, and what the comet had brought with it.

**...**

**Cold.**The feeling was seeping into her skin. There was enough of her consciousness coming back to her that she realized it was unwarranted, and with a groan she opened her eyes. **Pain. **Her hands flew to her heart, and she gasped. **Oh goddess the pain.**

"Minna..." It was a short whine. The tears wet her cheeks before she could stop them, and she curled in on herself, ignoring the aches in her body. They were gone. All of them. Her senshi, Mamoru, Chibi-Usa... But Chaos was too. She had fulfilled her duty. And somehow... she had survived. She raised her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks, looking at her hands. That's all that was there. Tears. The blood and dirt she collected during her battle with Chaos had been washed away. She had been redressed in a plain white shirt and dark blue scrubs that were both a few sizes too big. Her side was bandaged where she'd taken a hit from Uranus' sword. Her wrists bandaged where she's blocked so many of her senshi's attacks before they'd returned to her side. Her shoulder blades stung. She could not see, but she figured the wounds were due to the emergence of her wings. Wings... Her hands searched her chest frantically, then the cot beneath her, and her eyes finally focused on the walls of her room. Not a room, a prison cell.

She was in what looked to be in an 8x8 cell, with a heavy metal door and a small, barred window. Her heart dropped in her chest. She was trapped in a cell, and her ginshinzou was gone. There was no noise from outside. No voices at all. Her heart pounded fast in her chest. Where was she? With a deep, shuddering breath, she curled in on herself once again, numbness taking over. Her crystal, her source of power was gone, and she was completely and utterly alone in a tiny cell. She let go then, and surrendered to the still, sweet darkness...

**...**

**And so ends the first chapter of Fuseiseki. Please comment and review! Flames will not be tolerated. And I have already chosen who Usagi will be paired with in this fic, so no voting! Eventually I will have a fic for each pairing, as I just love them all so much! Hope you enjoyed it! New chapters up soon! Sayonara : . .**


	2. Chapter Two : Waiting For The End

**Disclaimer: Blah Blah Blah I don't own Sailor Moon, Blah Blah, or Gundam Wing Blah Blah Blah. But Oh how I wish I did. I'd be typing on a bigger laptop. That's for sure.**

**... **

**Fuseiseki : Failure**

**Chapter Two : Waiting for the End**

**...**

She opened her eyes to a harsh voice that stung her ears. "Get up woman." The man before her freezing cold cot wasn't young, but couldn't really be classified as old either. His eyes were a cool green, and his mouth was set in a grim line. Just the movement of sitting up made her body ache, but she pulled herself into the position with all the strength she could muster. "You are to be taken to the interrogation room."

Usagi's voice was low and scratchy when she spoke. "Where am I?"

"Get up." Instead of answering her, he wrenched her forcibly to her knees with a quick hand on her wrist. She couldn't help the whimper of pain. In her weakened state, all she could do was try to stay on her feet as he dragged her out the door and down the hall. It didn't take long for him to get to his destination, and when he did, he unceremoniously tossed her into another cold room. This one however, was bathed in harsh yellow light, and two other guards waited inside. The door slammed behind her, as she gasped for the breath she'd lost hitting the ground. Her side burned with fervor, but she looked up at the two men with watery silver eyes. She didn't understand. Why was she here? Who were these men, dressed in peculiar uniforms? They were black, with white edging, the chests set with a small symbol she couldn't decipher with blurry vision.

One of the men, a burly brunette with hard brown eyes, grabbed her arm tightly and shoved her into a metal chair that occupied the middle of the room. It had been behind the other man, a burly blonde. She hadn't known it was there until the cold metal touched her skin. She watched with careful eyes, biting her tongue as the blonde used zip-ties to tie her arms and legs to said chair, the ties so tight she could feel the slow beat of her own pulse.

"Who do you work for?" The light was focused on she and the chair, and she had to squint to see the speaker. It was the brunette. English. They spoke English. So far that was all she knew.

"I don't work for anyone." She cried out almost involuntarily as his hand came fast to her face, tasted her own blood in her mouth, sour and metallic.

"You expect us to believe that?" He sneered. Wiping the blood from her mouth off his hand and onto his pristine black pants. "We know you work for someone. No one knows where this base is. Yet you attacked it last night. We want to know who you work for, and where your weapon is!"

She spit the blood that was filling her mouth on the floor before her, slumped over in pain. Her side was bleeding through the bandages and the shirt she wore. Her head spun form the blow to her face. She could feel her lips bruising. **Attacked? **The last thing she remembered... The pain in her chest exploded so suddenly that for a moment nothing else existed. She remembered death. The death of her dearest friends. And the very last moments with Chaos. Nothing beyond that. Besides waking up in that cell. She had attacked their base? Who were they? She was cut off by another sharp slap to the face. Gasping, she turned hurt silver eyes on her attacker. They hardened to a dull gray as he watched.

"I don't have any weapon. And if I did I certainly wouldn't give it to you." She spit blood again, felt the bruise forming on her cheek. "So either kill me or let me go."

At this the hulking man suddenly seemed unsure. Walking briskly to the back of the room where Blondie was waiting, he whispered in his ear. They seemed to come to a mutual agreement, and with clippers he'd been hiding in his breast pocket, Blondie cut her loose. Mr. shit brown eyes gripped her arm painfully, and she was dragged yet again to her cold prison, and thrown onto the cot with unnecessary force.

...

That was only the first time they came for her. She couldn't count the days. Since there was no window in her cell, she couldn't even be sure if it was dark or light on the multiple times they dragged her from her room and interrogated her. The bruises seemed permanent. The clothes they had given her were worn and crusted with blood. And though she had no answers for them, they still seemed to think one day she would break. One day she would cave. At first she thought to fight. But that prospect had faded quickly, unlike the bruises that decorated her small frame.

She had learned, through these interrogations and through whispers in the hallway, that she had been captured by a faction that called themselves Tenshu. She had blanched at the name. It was japanese, and translated to God. Strange seeing as all the men she had met had spoken English. At closer inspection of the odd uniforms her captives wore, she had seen the sparkling insignia of white angel wings emblazoned on their chests. Stranger still. Whoever led them had a mighty ego. She had gathered other things too. Her arrival was said to be accompanied with a flash of bright white light, and the destruction of half of their barracks. Her crash landing had killed 12 people. It saddened her to think so. She couldn't be sure what had transpired. But whatever it was had landed her here. She had also learned that she was in Tokyo, Japan, on Earth, and that the year was A.C. 198. What that meant, she could not entirely be sure. There was a chance that the power of her crystal had ripped an opening in time. It was only a theory she mulled over infrequently. She supposed it didn't matter. She wasn't going anywhere. Her crystal was gone, and there was no one left to aid her. No one left at all.

She took a moment to curse the fates. From one lion's den into another. It seemed her suffering would never end. The anger was short. Something she had no energy for. If she'd had a mirror, she's guessed her face would resemble nothing of the person she once was. She'd rid the world of the ultimate enemy, but here she stood in her metal cage, defeated. Not dead yet. But close.

She glanced up languidly as a tray was pushed under the door. The opening that allowed it's entrance was bolted again, immediately, and sighing, she crawled over to it. They brought the same thing every day, once a day. A loaf of wheat bread, and a cup of water. At first she refused to eat, afraid of poison. But soon hunger and thirst won out, and she realized the food, while bland, was fine. They didn't want to poison her. They wanted her alive to interrogate. Still, she took only a few bites of the bread, washing it down with all the lukewarm water. When this was done, she leaned against the far wall of her cell, letting the cool walls soothe her aches.

She had told them nothing. There was nothing to tell. As if they'd believe she was a deity of the moon who had accidentally crash landed on their base. Her heart throbbed. No, a deity of the moon no longer. Not without her court, without her crystal. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She raised a hand to her chest to try to still the pain. It was numbing slowly. Ever so slowly. When she did rest, infrequently, she still saw the rage in their eyes when they had attacked her, still felt the heaviness in her chest as she'd been forced to retaliate. And the nightmare always ended over their lifeless bodies. Mamoru's wasn't there. She was thankful for that. He'd been in America when Chaos had reared his ugly head. She had felt the moment that he died. She remembered Chaos laughing in her face then, still harboring the body of the beautiful Galaxia. Mamoru hadn't been able to transform. He died human. Buried Human. She didn't know if she was envious or humbled. It was unusual for him to be unprepared. But she supposed they all had been. So unprepared. It was weeks earlier that he'd told her he'd fallen in love with a girl in America. The scouts had perhaps been more surprised than she was. Serenity and Endymion had been in love, Usagi and Mamoru were not. Yes, she had loved him. She mourned him still. He had been her best friend. Her most loyal protector. She was almost glad they'd both gotten such a weighty thing off their chests before...before his untimely end. She wondered morbidly when her's would finally come.

There was so much she wished she could say to all of them. Her mind spun fast and she felt dizzy for a moment, but she pushed away the feeling, focusing on the smiling faces of the friends in her memory. She wished she could tell Rei how strong she'd made her. Or tell Ami how much she appreciated all the extra time she spent helping her with her studies. It all seemed so far away now. She wanted to tell Mako how good it felt to hear her voice say for the hundredth time "He look's like my old koi..." and let her dear Mina know that her cheer never failed to be contagious. Goddess she missed them.

She longed for a moment, to hear Haruka calling her Koneko, and hear Michiru's soft laugh as she scolded her koi yet again for being rash. Wanted to feel Hota-chan's soft hand in hers. And Chibi-Usa. Oh, how she longed to hold her tight in her arms one last time. Even Mamoru. Though they had decided to part, she feverently wished to see his smile again. It had all slipped through her fingers. Too fast.

It was so hard to let them go. She sufficed to sit on her small cot, awash in the memories of a time when things were much simpler, and she had those she held dear within her grasp.

...

It was hours before she was interrupted by a face appearing at the small window in her prison door. It was one she did not recognize. She knew her guards names now. The brunette was Surashvili. The blonde Palo. This boy was younger than both of them, with short brown hair and eyes of dark blue. She didn't like the look in them.

"I told you Toshimura. She's here." He turned to speak to someone else, and then the latch to her door clanked loudly, and he and another younger boy with black hair and blue eyes stepped into the room. He was the first person she'd seen that looked remotely japanese. She eyed them warily. "Just look at her. Lieutenant Palo was right. She's a looker. even with the bruises." His eyes were hungry.

The other boy stood at the door, looking around the hallway as if for someone to interrupt. he glanced at her sidelong. The look in his eyes did not comfort her. But then, what did in this drab place? She turned her eyes back to the first boy, who was moving closer to her, and had enough sense to back further away from him, her eyes hard.

"Oooh. Lookit her Toshimura. Looks scared." The boy at the door huffed quietly, crossing his arms.

"Stop running your mouth and get done what we came here for Tyler. Before someone comes back." He said, his voice cold. It warmed in the next instant. " I want my turn with her." The fear rose instantly in her chest. She knew what they'd come for, and she'd be damned if they'd take her without a fight. Tyler reached for her wrist, his excitement already showing through his black slacks, and she kicked at him with all her strength.

The problem was there was not much of her strength left. By her count of the trays she's gotten, one per day, she'd been here for three long weeks. With little food and without her crystal, she was no match for even one of these boy's, let alone two. The boy called Tyler had her pinned beneath him on her ratty cot in mere moments.

"Iie..." She pleaded. Which only earned her a slap across the face. As her ripped her clothes from her body she found she had no tears left to cry. No voice left to speak. She was trapped in hell. She was broken beyond repair. She made no sound as he had his way with her, and did not move when he switched places with is friend. Just stared blankly at the ceiling, trying hard to think of nothing but happier times.

When they left, she gathered her torn clothing and tugged it back on, opting to curl on the floor instead of the bloodied and dirtied cot. She lied and told herself she was alright, but she wished they'd just kill her.

...

"Did everyone get the message from Noin?" Quatre said this quietly. The meeting room he and the gundam pilots were in was small, and the noise carried easily. There was a short nod from each of the men. "Then we are agreed to carry through with this mission?"

Duo was the first to speak. " Anyone who can blow a hole in one of Tenshu's biggest bases and survive is alright by me." His smile would have been contagious, but the current occupants of the room did not catch on by any means.

"I still don't believe it's an Onna." Wufei said, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

"Whether Onna or not." Quatre said with exasperation. Wufei never quit. Even after all this time being with Sally. "This girl is a potential Ally. The reports say she hasn't given any information since her attack on the base, though she has been very harshly interrogated. We stand to gain valuable knowledge by rescuing her. We haven't even been able to get near the Tokyo base til now."

"Noin has surveillance on the base?" Trowa spoke for the first time, his one visible green eye locking on Quatre.

Quatre nodded. "Yes. Her scouts have told her that the base has been all but cleared out due to the damage done. But it seems the computers have not been moved yet. We also stand to gather some valuable intelligence by carrying out this mission."

Hiiro stood, and Quatre's eyes turned to him. "Enough talk." His voice was as monotonous and cold as ever. "We leave at 2400 hours." With that he left to prepare, and slowly, the rest of the pilots filed after him. When they had all exited the room, Quatre allowed himself to sink into one of the plush rolling chairs that surrounded their conference table. Head in his hands, he took this alone time to ponder their situation.

He hadn't seen his comrades so worked up in a long time. This faction, Tenshu, which Trowa had told him translated to God, was really becoming worrisome. It had been so long since they'd had a real threat, he'd almost relaxed. He had been settling into running the many facets of the Winner Corporation when Wufei had called him.

Since Wufei and Hiiro had been with the Preventers following the incident of Maremeia, they had been the first to become familiar with the faction known as Tenshu. They had called upon Trowa, Duo, and himself when the numbers of their company rose, and they began to threaten the peace they had fought so hard to achieve. Again, it was happening. He ran his hands over his eyes, hard, blurring his own vision for a moment. Would it ever end?

Trowa had been at the circus, and Duo was busy rebuilding the church he'd stayed in as a child on L2. Projects that had kept them both busy. Duo was his normal cheerful self, and even Trowa had opened up a bit more. He had seen them at lengths in the past year, for short visits. It pained them to see the tension of oncoming war set in their shoulders again. Even Wufei seemed uneasy. He'd softened a bit during his time with Sally. He knew he was uneasy himself... But Hiiro. He never changed. Always ready for a mission.

Standing, he brushed his platinum locks out of his eyes. It had grown longer. And he had grown taller. Perhaps it was time for a haircut. Sighing, he exited the room through the same door the others had, and carried on down the hall to ready his things for the mission.

...

No one had come today. She didn't know if she should be grateful for that or not. There was a hush through the large building she was occupied in that was unsettling. She decided to ignore it. It had been a day since her encounter with the boys. Or at least that's what she surmised. Time escaped her here.

It was a fight to keep her sanity. She clung to images of her past, all the while scolding herself for not trying harder to escape. She was hopeless, helpless. There was nothing left to live for. This was the excuse she gave herself, and Goddess it was working. She daydreamed of Crystal Tokyo, of her friends as Queens, of love and peace. The part of her that still clung to sanity told her she was trapped. That she would die soon if she didn't fight for her life. She wondered if it mattered. Crystal Tokyo was dead. Her friends were gone. She shook her head. Nothing mattered. What a silly thought.

She was startled when a shout came down the hallway, hissing in pain as the movement jarred her aching body. Then came the sound of gunshots, more yelling, and an explosion that rocked the concrete floor she laid upon. Enough to peak her interest now, she dragged herself up onto her feet, and hobbled over to the small window in the door.

She gasped as her own, dull grey eyes met a startling cerulean blue. And a voice that was like the sweet song of the harp said. "I found her Duo. She's here."

...

It was quiet. Quiet and dark. Duo liked it that way. He lounged easily in the bucket seat of the black jeep they'd taken to the base. The flight from the preventer's base had been short, and the drive even shorter. No wonder Tenshu had outfitted this base with so many people. At an hour drive from the airport, it would have been an easy target unmanned. Which incidentally, it now was. He couldn't wait to meet this babe. She'd done quite a number on them by herself. That was if she still lived.

Reports from the spies Noin has planted in Tenshu said they were unsure. The girl was spoken about regularly. They said she'd taken out twelve men in her attack. But the information was vague and no one had actually ever seen her. She was kept under lock and key and was handled by two select guards only. Duo had some idea of where the holding cell was. He and Quatre had been assigned the duty of rescuing the girl, while Trowa and Hiiro gathered information, and Wufei waited in the wings to destroy what was left of their stronghold. There would be no rebuilding.

When Noin had called him, he had been unsure if he wanted to get involved again. But Shinigami rose in him quickly, and he had accepted hours after she'd contacted him. The God of death could not be held down for long. It had been relaxing, burying himself in the rebuilding of Maxwell church, but his blood sang for something more. He only wished it didn't mean the plague of war upon the earth and colonies once again.

"Duo." Quatre's voice broke him from his reverie. "We're all set." With a stretch that was catlike, he jumped from the jeep's seat, checking that his guns were in the holsters on his chest and leg, and that his hunting knife was secure in his combat boot. He had already checked the ammunition 10 times on their way to the base.

"Ready when you are Q-man." He said cheerfully. "Shinigami rises again!" Quatre had enough decency to try to hide the rolling of his eyes, but it was the soft smile that Duo fed off of. "You know you missed me buddy." He said with his own smile, as they crept closer to their target.

Getting in was easy. It seemed they had cleared the base of any sentries. Those left were only there to monitor information and complete repairs. Noin had said as much, but Duo never let anything get his hopes up. This... well this was boring. He turned the corner, Quatre trailing behind, his mind drifting. There was a loud pop, and he couldn't help smiling at the hole in the concrete wall next to him. Action. Finally.

"How close?" Quatre asked, returning fire as Duo did towards the five men further down the straight hallway. Duo took in his surroundings quickly.

"Shouldn't be too far." he said. "Just down this hallway." Quatre nodded, as the last of the soldiers fell to the ground. Duo nudged one of the lifeless bodies as he passed by it, turning it over. A shame. They were just kids. This one had long brown hair, his cold blue eyes staring up at nothing.

He looked up as Quatre exclaimed. " I found her Duo. She's here." It was enough of a distraction for a guard they hadn't seen to aim a well placed bullet at Duo. He dodged at the last second, but it lodged deep in his shoulder.

"Ouch." He grumbled, and leaned against the wall as his attacker fell dead to the floor. His aim was still on point at least. He needed to work on his attention span. "Can you get the door open?" He asked through gritted teeth.

Quatre glanced at him worriedly, which he shrugged off with a tense smile. "It's only a few bolts." The Arabian said, smiling back softly.

"Then by all means Q-man, grab the babe and let's go."

...

She was not scared. She had seen the kindness in the man's eyes before her. The deep depths of blue had made her feel warmer than she had in a long time. She stood still as he opened the door to her cell, and stared.

He was taller than she was by a few inches. His hair was platinum blonde and shaggy, falling past his ears in soft wisps. His eyes were large and doe-like. A pure oceanic blue. She heard the sound of more gunshots in the distance, but did not turn towards the noise. She was captured in his gaze. She watched as he raised a hand up, offering it for her own. **A dream? **Was she so far gone that she was imagining this angel? Freeing her from her confines? All she wanted was release. Be it freedom or death. At the moment she could care less. She'd spent too long holding onto a dream.

"We're here to rescue you , Miss." He graced her with his beautiful, even voice again. So different from the one's she'd heard in the past few weeks of torture. Tentatively, she laid her hand in his own, her bloody, dirty hand, and was suddenly overcome with images.

*Sandrock. 04. Duo. 02. Hiiro. 01. Trowa. 03. Wufei. 05.* Her eyes widened for a moment, still on his, and with a gasp she succumbed to sweet darkness.

...

**And so the boys have finally been introduced. What will Usagi do when she wakes? Again, comments and reviews are always appreciated! Until next time.. . . **


	3. Chapter Three : Wake Me Up

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam wing. *Throws the laptop against the wall, sobbing* ARE YOU HAPPY NOW!**

**...**

**Fuseiseki : Failure**

**Chapter Three : Wake Me Up**

**...**

"So what's the story doc?" Duo sat amicably at the bedside of the girl they had rescued. His wishes had come true. She was a babe. But her condition was to be pitied. Bruises marred her lovely pale skin, some old, some new. There was a gash in her side that had become infected. He had redressed her wounds himself, with aid of Quatre, before their hasty get away. His own wound had been dressed when they'd arrived. It was sore, but more of a flesh wound. It pained him little.

He smiled at the memory of their escape. He always did like fireworks. Wufei had put on a good show. There was nothing left of Tenshu's Tokyo base. The Maguanac doctor, Hasin, broke him from his memories. "She is stable." His voice was thick with an Arabian accent. "But her wounds were severe. She was beaten within an inch of her life." He shook his head sadly. "I'm honestly not sure how she survived this long. There are also signs of sexual abuse."

Duo sobered immediately, staring at the prone from of the girl before him. She lay on the bed, her silver hair making a halo on the pure white sheets. There were three IV's attached to her, one in her left arm, and two in her right. The skin that wasn't bruised, was almost as pale as the sheets. The maguancs that Quatre had assigned to this small base in Yokohama had washed her, and dressed her wounds once again. Helpful chaps. He thought absentmindedly. Then, berated himself. Damn attention span. It had been two days since they had rescued her from the base, but she hadn't made so much as a peep. He admired her for her strength. His fists clenched. No one so young, so innocent looking as she, deserved this.

He nodded politely as the doctor bowed, and took his leave. Pulling himself up from the chair, he moved to the girls bedside, and tentatively laid a hand on her own, bruised one. He was surprised as her brows furrowed, but did not pull away, instead gently turning her hand, palm up, and interlocking his fingers with hers. With her eyes closed, he then heard her speak for the first time.

"Duo Maxwell." She whispered, with a voice like the chime of bells. And then she was silent again.

His eyes were guarded as he looked down on her, and spoke softly. "You are one mysterious babe." And untangling his hand from hers, he took one last glance at her stoic form before leaving the room.

...

_*War.* _That was all these boys had seen. All they had known. She was having a hard time distinguishing the difference between her own thoughts and those of the man named Quatre. He was a strong empath. Just his touch had impressed upon her so many memories of him, of his friends, that she felt shorted out. Their stories reminded her of her own. Or did her stories remind her of theirs?

So much pain. And fear. Fear that had to be hidden. Pushed down and forgotten about. Because the mission was always foremost. They stitched the fabric of their world with the machines they fought in. There was no room for weakness. Weakness got you killed. She could hear her own heartbeat. Or was it Quatre's? A slow, steady rhythm.

Did that mean she was alive? Did she want to be alive? There was something deep below the surface of the lucid dreams she was having, something dark and cold that she was afraid to touch. A well of emotion that threatened to leave her invalid with the pain. There were other voices. She heard them every once in-awhile. Voices that broke through the memories and said things she didn't quite understand.

"Stable" The voice drifted through foggy, not one she recognized. There was an accent to it... Was she stable? Was he talking about her? What was wrong with her? That threatening feeling came back. It was a darkness that was rising, bringing her closer to the surface of understanding.

Then there was a hand in hers. It was warm, calloused. And the colors... Unlike the deep sea green she was washed in currently, this touch impressed deep purple and forest green upon her. Earthy and mysterious. A name came to her lips, and she spoke it without thinking. "Duo Maxwell." It was a whisper, the ghost of a memory. She wanted to squeeze her fingers closed. To hold him there with his warmth so that she might share in it, but she couldn't move. The hand was pulled away, and she was alone again. No, not alone. She held the company of these memories. And the sinking feeling that to come away from them, to open her eyes again, she would have to give into the darkness that scared her so.

...

"How is she?" Quatre didn't look up from the paper he was reading as he spoke. Duo took the seat across from him in the sitting room, appreciating the plushness of the chair. Quatre's bases were the best, full of luxury and comfort. Way better than Hiiro's bases. They were usually just compounds in the ground with cots and weapons. He screwed his face at the memory, but answered Quatre.

"Better than expected. But she still hasn't woken up." He put his arms behind his head, leaning back into the soft chair. "Doctor Hasin said she went through alot."

Quatre looked at him then, and Duo couldn't help seeing the pain in the blonde's eyes. "Yes, I was informed." He didn't say more. Duo wasn't sure he could. After all this time, Quatre was still the bleeding heart of their little ragtag crew. "Do you think she'll wake up soon?"

"It's touch and go." Duo said. "From what I gather she's got a lot of healing to do. She'll wake up when she feels like it."

"To a barrage of questions." Quatre sighed. "Hiiro is waiting for her to wake up, and Noin and Milliardo are on speed-dial should it be soon."

"The girl destroyed half of an enemies base with no notice and a weapon no one can find. I have questions myself." Quatre glared at him, and he smiled. " I know Q-man. Will it make you feel better if I make it my personal mission to make sure they don't question her to death?"

Quatre's smile was answer enough. Duo couldn't help it. He had a weak spot for the younger boy. A weak spot for all of them really. This was his family. But Hiiro could be quite overbearing, as could Noin and Milliardo, the pair known as Fire and Wind. He didn't mind protecting the angel that lay prone in the next room.

...

It was right there. So close she could touch. But she kept her hands at her sides, unsure. This was the darkness. The thing she had to accept, had to take back, to wake up.

She had separated herself from Quatre's memories, and was vaguely aware that upon waking she would see him. Could help him, and all his friends. The men with the dark shadowing of pain in their eyes. But first, she had to help herself. Or destroy herself? She wasn't sure. Closing her eyes, she reach a pale hand towards the dark ball. And when her fingers finally met it, all she could do was scream.

...

Duo jumped from the seat he was in, undecided what to do. Before him, Quatre was hunched in pain, clutching his chest and struggling for breath. But from the infirmary, had come the piercing screams of the girl they'd rescued. He moved to comfort the man he knew so well, but was pushed away roughly.

Quatre's eyes told him all he needed to know. They were rent with pain, misery, hopelessness. The emotions were not his, but the message beneath, the message that screamed for him to go to the girl's aide, that was Quatre. With one last look at his ailing friend, he ran to the infirmary. He wasn't the first one there. There was the Doctor, and his tiny nurse, trying to hold the flailing girl down. She had ripped all three of her IV's out, and blood trickled from the spots where the catheters had been. Without hesitation, he moved to the side of the bed, and with strength the doctor and his nurse seemed to lack, pinned the girl's arms to her sides. She thrashed for a few moments more, and relaxed.

His breath even, Duo spoke. "You're safe here babe. We're not here to hurt you." He couldn't help but gasp as her eyes open and snapped to his. They were silver. Deep pools of cold metal. Her voice was like ice.

"I know. Duo Maxwell." She said. "Nor am I here to hurt you." It was at this point that the rest of his comrades entered the room, Trowa supporting a flushed Quatre, with Wufei and Duo on their heels. "I would ask that you allow me to sit up, Duo-kun." His eyes were still on hers, and he nodded, letting go of her arms. The Doctor and nurse were waved away by Quatre, as Trowa deposited him in a chair beside the bed.

She looked pained as she stretched the limbs that had not moved in two days, but seemed to just ignore it, pushing herself to sit upright. Slowly, she gazed at her arms, fingers gently tracing the bruises. When she looked back up, her eyes were no longer silver, but a cool blue-grey. Duo couldn't help but compare them to the stoic eyes of his best friend. Hiiro Yui.

...

The screaming was involuntary. She couldn't stop herself. The flailing was because of the pain. It burned at her core. A fire that was so hot it was cold. She heard the voices telling her to calm down, and then, the warm calloused hands she remembered clamped down on her arms. The fire ebbed to a numbness that was consuming. Fear was a weakness. She pushed it down forcibly. "You're safe here babe. We're not here to hurt you." The voice was deep, even. It was no effort for him to hold her ailing body down.

When her eyes opened, they were instantly captured in deep depths of pure violet. "I know. Duo Maxwell." Her voice sounded alien. Cold, calculating. She strained to make it sound softer, more amicable. "Nor am I here to hurt you." His hands still pinned her arms down. "I would ask that you allow me to sit up, Duo-kun." He nodded, and let her go.

Pain shot through her body as she moved, but she ignored it. Pain was a weakness. She had to be strong. She gazed sorrowfully at the bruises that laced her arms, traced them with a soft finger. It had come to this. And still she lived. Would Shinigami never take her? Would she suffer forever? Such a burden. Her eyes hardened, and she gazed slowly around the room. One she accepted. One she had to accept. Just as these boys accepted theirs.

"Who are you and who do you work for." She looked at the man, tall, with unruly brown hair and cold, Prussian blue eyes, and shivered despite herself. So cold. She wondered what made him so cold.

"Usagi." She said softly. And wondered for just a moment if that was right. Could that be her name anymore? She felt split down the middle, a half of two wholes. " My name is Usagi, and I work for no one."

There was a voice to her left. "Miss Usagi..." She cut him off.

"Just Usagi will do, Quatre-kun." Her voice was sweet and soft for him, almost like it had been before...before... She gasped, and Quatre gasped with her. They were both broken from it when Hiiro shoved the barrel of his magnum in her face.

"Who are you?" His voice never changed. It was monotone with no inflection. She imagined he didn't need much more to intimidate. He cut a powerful figure. She smiled lightly despite herself.

"I told you Hiiro." Her voice was cold again. She didn't know if she liked this new self. She sounded calmer than she felt. "My name is Usagi." He did not lower the gun.

"How do you know my name?" She looked at Quatre this time, ignoring the way the gun in her face made her heart flutter. " I know all of your names. Quatre Reberba Winner." She liked the way the name rolled off her tongue. His mother had named him well. Her eyes shifted to the tallest man, standing close to Quatre, his reddish brown hair falling in his face and shielding one eye. The other shone a brilliant emerald green. "Trowa Barton." She shifted her gaze again, to the Chinese man in the corner, his arms crossed and his onyx eyes hard. "Wufei Chang." Then to the compassionate one with violet eyes. Her eyes softened for a moment at the bandages she spied beneath his tank. "Duo Maxwell." Dark blue-grey met cold prussian once again, she stared at him past the barrel, her lips curving in a soft smile. "And of course, Hiiro Yui."

The gun clicked. Hiiro had taken the safety off. But before he could make a move, Duo knocked the gun from it's intended target. Hiiro glared at him with a ferocity that amazed the petite warrior, but he didn't back down, only glared back and spoke. "Our names are common knowledge Hiiro. Give her a break." The tenseness in the room died down, just a bit. There was a visible lax in the shoulders of the occupants. Duo turned to look at her, and she looked back at him passively. "What we really need to know babe, is how a little thing like you destroyed half an acre of a secret base."

She frowned. Just a small tilt down at the corners of her mouth. "I would love nothing more than to tell you that, Duo-kun." She twined her hands together, over the white sheet her legs were draped in. "But I'm afraid I have no idea what caused that damage. The soldiers at the base seemed to think I was involved." Her voice quieted. "The way they questioned me was not as... nice." She shook her head, and hoped no one noticed her knuckles going white as she pushed the memories away.

"How did you get to the base?" Trowa asked. She shook her head again, this time to signify that she had no answers for them. She couldn't explain what had happened to anyone. There was no one that would believe her. "I don't know."

"And before you were there, Onna?" Wufei. She liked his voice. It was smooth. She felt badly about it, but could not spill her secrets. This was not her world. She may not have been the smartest cookie on the block, but there was no way she could have missed the wars she saw etched in Quatre's memories.

"I don't remember." She knew she looked forlorn. She hoped they thought it was because she couldn't recall.

"Perhaps it would be best if we let Mi... Usagi, rest for awhile." Quatre's voice broke through the silence that had followed her answer. She was grateful for it. There was still an air of tension in the room, but there was a collective murmur of agreement, and slowly, they all filed out of the room. Duo was the last to leave.

Before he could close the door behind him, she called for him softly. "Duo-kun." He turned on a dime and headed back to her bedside, his face open and attentive.

"At your service babe." He winked and smiled. She found she liked his easy nature. It reminded her of... Another forced push inside. She wasn't ready for the hurt. She needed to be clear of mind right now, focused. Duo didn't seem to notice.

Gently, she reached for his shoulder, laying her hand atop the bandages that covered his bullet wound. "You got this getting me out, didn't you?" He smiled. Oh, she was sure this man broke hearts with that smile.

"Nothing to worry about babe. Barely a flesh wound." She smiled then too, because he was just contagious. "I'd be more worried about yourself." Her smile faltered. "You're pretty tough for such a babe."

She couldn't help the smile returning. "I'll be alright." She lowered her hand. "Perhaps I should rest." Duo kept on smiling his charming smile, raising a hand to his brow and saluting a goodbye.

"I'll leave you to it."

"Duo-kun!" He looked at her with laughter in his eyes.

"Yeah babe?"

"Arigatou for saving me."

"It was a group effort, but you are welcome. Couldn't just leave a beautiful thing like you to the wolves, now could we?

"I suppose not. Til later, Duo-kun.'

He nodded once, and turned on his heel as he had before, leaving the infirmary and closing the door behind him with a soft click. When he was gone, she put her head in her hands, and for the first time in weeks, she curled up and let herself cry. "Oh Minna. How I miss you. He's wrong. The fates have thrown me to the wolves yet again." The words were wracked with sobs. "This war, these boys with the pain in their eyes. Am I supposed to help? To heal? To fight? I'm so lost Minna. I wish you were here with me. I don't even have the ginshinzou." There was no answer. Not that she had truly expected one. She was alone. But for them, for their memories...She would be strong.

She laid there on the pillow, curled in a fetal position, nursing her bruises and her side, and though thoughts still ran rampant through her head, she fell asleep like that, tears in her eyes.

...

"So what do you think of the Onna?" Wufei, in particular Wufei fashion, was leaning against the conference table with his arms crossed. His audience was the remaining four Gundam pilots.

"I think she's hot." Duo said with a cheesy grin. Wufei and Hiiro shot him a glare simultaneously. He shrunk under the power of them, and complained. "Geez I don't see you guys for a year and you still do that."

"You're still an annoying baka." Wufei surmised. Trowa and Wufei smirked. Even Hiiro's lip twitched a little, and Quatre took over the conversation as Duo pouted.

"She may have a bit of amnesia due to her experience." The room quieted at the prospect. "Or she may not want to remember."

"She may be hiding something from us." Hiiro's voice was as monotone as ever. Quatre shook his head, though it wasn't to disagree.

"That may be true Hiiro. But she deserves a bit of time to rest before you push her. This feeling she gives me." His hand wandered to the space above his heart. "I've felt nothing like it before. A deep loneliness. A deep hurt."

"So we wait." Trowa said. His eyes were on Quatre, a hint of worry floating through them. "We need what information she has."

"Let's just hope she remembers sooner than later." Wufei's voice was more somber than before. They all understood that she had been through alot. But if she could lead them to a weapon with that much destruction, they needed her help.

"So she stays with us then." Duo said with a smile. "I'll just go..." Wufei cut him off.

"Leave the girl alone baka. Let her sleep. A year and you still embody injustice." Duo pouted.

"Don't you love me Wu-man?" Wufei's eye twitched.

"Baka, if I had my katana on me, I would show you how much it loves you. And my name is NOT Wu-man!" Quatre rolled his eyes with a smile on his face as Duo 'eeped' and took off running, the Chinese pilot on his heels. He was glad some they never changed. Everything around them seemed to be changing too fast.

...

**Yay! Another chapter done. We're getting further into the story now... Lots of action in the next chapter. Stay tuned to find out what happens. P.S. Usagi will have a love interest in this story. Can you guess who yet? Points to those who can. I will also be having a guest star in the next chapter. Those who can guess who it is, get brownie points... :) Until next time.. .**


	4. Chapter Four : Pieces of Me

**Disclaimer: I do not own SM or GW. IF I did, Wufei would have a pink katana, and Chaos would reign forever and ever. Figuratively of course. Please read and review! **

**...**

**Fuseiseki : Failure**

**Chapter Four : Remember, You are not Alone.**

...

She woke with tears in her eyes. They felt swollen and raw. Wincing, she pulled herself into a sitting position, gasping for the air she lost as she jarred her side. Her dreams were so vivid. She watched them die. Over and over again. Watched them give their lives for their cause, for her. There was a dull ache in her chest.

"You're awake." She jumped at the noise, whimpering slightly at the pain it caused her. If she had the ginshinzou...she'd be healed already. The wounds were taxing. She'd grown used to her accelerated healing. Her eyes caught emerald in the dim room. Trowa.

"Hai. I mean, yes." She brushed at her cheeks, wiping away the few tears that had fallen there. She supposed it didn't matter if he saw now.

"We're leaving soon." Not a man of many words. She guessed. He never said more than he needed to. "You are to accompany us." He stood then, and she saw the clothes that was laid on the end of her infirmary bed. She blushed. She had forgotten that she wore nothing more than a hospital gown. It hadn't seemed important until now. Anything was better than the dirty scrubs she's had on in the Tenshu base.

He said nothing more. Just stood there, patiently waiting on her. With a resigned sigh, she gathered herself, shifting her legs over the bedside. Tentatively, she put her toes on the floor, and pushed away from the bed. Her legs did not hold. She braced for the impact, squinting her eyes closed, waiting to hit the floor.

Only in the silence did she realize she had not made it that far, finding instead she was held in the strong arms of Trowa Barton. She looked up at him, awed at how fast he moved. "You ok?" She was so close she felt his voice rumble in his chest. It made her shiver. All she could do was nod. Gently, he set her back upon the bed. "Don't move."

He turned and walked away briskly, and moments later a small, Arabian girl with long black hair and gentle turquoise eyes came in his place. "Master Trowa requested I assist you in dressing. " Usagi flushed. The girl smiled. "Don't be embarrassed Miss Usgai please. Your wounds were quite severe, and you have not moved in two days. I would prefer that you stay here to rest, but Master Quatre insists you leave today."

She busied herself immediately with gathering up the clothes on the bed, arranging them so she could help Usagi with dressing, piece by piece. Usagi vaguely wondered where the boys had procured such items, a black sports bra, comfortable black underwear, a grey sports top, and black yoga pants. They were all new. The girl seemed to catch the question in her eyes. A perceptive young thing.

"Master Quatre had me shop for a few things for you, Lady Usagi." Usagi allowed her to pull away the hospital gown, leaving her in bandages and naught else. She might have been embarrassed, but the girl was so clinical, so gentle, that she thought nothing of it. It wasn't as if she'd not been through the treatment before. Her memories of the Moon Kingdom were coming back. Ami and Mina, fussing over getting her into a fancy dress... her servants and theirs fixing her hair. The thought was painful for but a moment. A sweet memory that made her cringe. She resisted the urge to clutch at her beating heart.

"Usagi will do." She said softly, and was rewarded with the girl's soft smile. She was preparing to help Usagi clasp the bra around herself. It fit well. "What is your name? Young one?"

The girl was behind her now, clasping the bra, and then moved gracefully to pick up the underwear, bending as she slipped it over Usagi's feet. Usagi flushed a bit, but settled when they were on. She cursed her aching limbs. "Asiya." She said evenly.

"One who heals." Usagi said, the words had left her mouth without pause. Curious. More and more information she'd thought forgotten was surfacing. A side effect of her change, she supposed.

"Yes." the girl looked pleasantly surprised. "My father named me so."

"How perfect." She smiled, and allowed the girl to carefully pull the sport tank over her head. It was firm enough that it held her aching ribs in a comfortable position, caressing her aching side.

"I have packed away a few more outfits for you. Master Quatre has seen them to the car." Asiya moved finally to help Usagi pull on the soft black pants, allowing her to lean upon her small shoulder as she moved them up to her hips. She sat back down with a small gasp. Her legs were still unstable. She glared at them, disappointed in their treachery. This made Asiya giggle.

"Asiya?" She looked at the small girl, who was gathering her hospital gown and tidying up, then bent to inspect Usagi's bandaged arms.

"Yes?" Grey met with turquoise.

"Why do you call Quatre, Master?" He didn't seem the type to keep slaves...he was so innocent, kind. She could feel it.

"For all intents and purposes, he is." Asiya said softly. There was a pride in her voice. "Many families serve master Quatre, as they served his father before him. The Winners are kind. They shelter and feed us. Spoil us. We want for nothing. We repay them with the skills we can offer. Some heal. Some fight. Some cook, or clean, and so on. Master Quatre was there when I was born. As my father was when he was born."

"I see." She didn't think Quatre could keep slaves. It said alot about his character that even this small girl relished in performing a job to repay his kindness. She was housed with some remarkable people.

"If you will excuse me." Asiya gave a polite bow. "Master Duo shall be in to escort you to the car."

"Thank you Asiya." The girl smiled. "You are most welcome, Lady Usagi." She left the room before Usagi had time to protest being called 'Lady'.

Duo seemed to have impeccable timing, entering just seconds after Asiya had made her escape. "Hey babe." He saluted in greeting.

"Ohayo Duo-kun." He sidled up next to her, allowing her to put an arm over his shoulder, supporting her waist carefully. Her body protested the movement, but she sucked it in with a breath. Duo's violet eyes were on her, laced with worry. She smiled at his concern.

"I apologize for the fast move. But it's necessary." She nodded, and hobbled along with him. It was not far from the infirmary, to the door that led outside. The place they stayed looked like a small store on the outside, set in between other small shops on a nice, quite street. It was dark out. She looked up to the sky, something she hadn't seen in a long time. The moon was not out. She wondered if a moon still existed in this world, this time.

Duo lifted her bodily and deposited her gently into the passenger seat of a dark SUV. There were two others parked outside, In front of the one she was in. It seemed Quatre was driving the first, with Trowa the passenger, and Hiiro the second, with Wufei. She laid her head back on the headrest as Duo closed her door, and then got into the SUV himself, starting it up.

"Duo-kun?" She asked softly. "Where are we going?"

He winked sidelong at her, following the other dark SUV's in a convoy, winding through city streets. "Somewhere."

"Will you not tell me?"

He shrugged. "No offense babe, but we don't know you all that well. And you don't know us all that well, despite knowing our names. We need to bring you along because that noggin of yours stands to hold information we need. Usually we work alone."

"Alone." She repeated it softly, looking out the window in to the dark of the city streets. What a solid, depressing word it was.

" You okay babe?" Duo looked worried again.

"Usagi." He raised and eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"My name is Usagi."

He chuckled. The sound warmed her. "Sorry Usagi." He rolled it off his tongue, dragging it out. She took the comfortable silence in stride, busying herself with looking him over. He was handsome. That, she could admit freely. With deep violet eyes and tanned skin, he was exotic looking. His hair was tied in a long braid, one that reached his waist. She didn't think she's ever seem such long hair on a man. His bangs were unruly, framing his face. At the moment he wore a plain black baseball cap, that shadowed his face, and a tight black T-shirt. His muscular chest was visible through the soft fabric. Her eyes traveled to his baggy grey jeans, and black sneakers. Dressed for comfort. This trip might be longer than she'd thought.

"Like what you see?" She blushed at his comment. She didn't know he'd been aware of her inspection.

"I-" He chuckled again.

"Don't worry so much Usa." He winked at her. "Just playing with you." She watched with interest as he glanced in the rear-view mirror. Looking for something? His eyes were guarded for a moment, but he relaxed again immediately. "You should get some rest. We have a long drive."

She nodded, and reclined her chair back, fighting for a moment to get comfortable on the seat. She was tired. And what would be the use of staying awake? Even if Duo had told her where they were going, she didn't know where she was in the first place. Slowly, she drifted off, Duo's soft humming to a song on the radio pushing her over the edge and into a dream. She noted sleepily that he had called her Usa. But was too tired to protest.

...

It was dark. Dark and cold. She stood at the threshold of the battle, looking down upon the bloodied, broken bodies of her friends.

"Do you think their sacrifice was worth it?" She spun so fast on her heel that there was a 'whoosh', and her silver eyes met with bright glowing red. She couldn't stop her eyes widening, her mouth dropping open.

"No. Masaka."

"Oh it's possible. Serenity." The shadowy figure sneered. All she could see was his eyes. The rest of him meshed into the dark. "Did you think I wouldn't find you?" His voice grew louder. "The crystal calls to me. Your light calls to me. As long as you breathe, so do I. And this time, I shall have my revenge."

"Chaos-" He cut her off. The tone of his voice told her her was smirking, amused, enjoying this.

"Oh save the threats Serenity. Or should I say Usagi?" He laughed. It was more of a hiss than anything, dry and raspy. "The silver hair and new eye color don't fool me. You don't have your crystal."

"You bakayaro." She spit. "I'll put you right back down like a dog. If you think you can fuck with me, you have another thing coming."

"Such language." A voice echoed in her ears, far away. "I do believe you are waking up." He raised a hand that was more shadow than solid, in a crude gesture of goodbye. In it, sparkled a small green gem. Pluto's Sailor Star.

She gasped, and reached for him, but the plane they were on was fading. She was tormented by his loud laughter as she came back up into consciousness.

...

"No." She whispered it. The emotion was so powerful that unbidden tears leaked from her eyes. She reached up to wipe them away, but was instead surprised by warm calloused hands doing the job.

"Usa." Duo whispered. His concern warmed her heart, she still felt frozen with fear. Chaos was alive. ALIVE. And he had Sailor Pluto's SailorStar. What had happened when she crashed? Had all of the SailorStars split from her ginshinzou? How was it possible? "Usa?" His voice was more persistent. He was standing half in the SUV, leaning over her. The sun was starting the paint the sky outside. She looked up into his worrying eyes with fear in her she could not hide.

"Duo-kun." Her voice was sorrowful. Scared.

"Usa, are you alright?" She wanted to scold him for calling her that. But the familiarity was keeping her grounded. So peculiar these boys.

"No." She whispered. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and was relieved when she was welcomed warmly. "Nothing is alright."

...

Duo shrugged lightly at the look Hiiro was giving him. What was he supposed to do? The babe was crying. She had been whimpering in her sleep for most of the 45 minute drive. He had only seen the tears when they stopped at thier destination. It was a small Port outside of Yokohama. A private Port, for Preventer air-crafts. Their rush to leave had been due to a leak in information. Tenshu knew their whereabouts, and were not very happy about the rescue of Usa and complete destruction of their base. It had been so rushed they'd barely had time to get things together. Thanks the Gods they had Noin and Milliardo on their side.

The other pilots were exiting their SUV's too, looking upon the braided pilot and the girl with wonder. He waited a moment, and she quieted, bringing a hand up to wipe the tears from her face. "Usa.." He didn't speak loud. He didn't know why, but there was a strong urge to protect this girl he knew nothing about. To make her smile again. Sure, she smiled, once in awhile. He'd seen it. But it never reached her eyes. It was like having a moody female Hiiro around. A bit unsettling. Especially since her facade just looked so damn innocent.

"Where are we Duo?" She was looking at him with eyes of steel. He decided not to push the issue.

"Ever been into space Usa?" He said, and the pilots gathered around them as he helped her from the car. To their credit, not one of them mentioned her episode.

"Space?" Her eyes lit in wonder. The most emotion he'd seen in them since she had woken up.

"Come on." He steadied her, and took her hand. She looked down at his hand intertwined in her own, and smiled slightly. It was a start. He smiled back at 1000 watts, and led her towards the terminal where their shuttle was waiting. Quatre followed, while Wufei and Trowa loaded the bags into the shuttle, and Hiiro climbed on board. He was piloting this time.

"Just another adventure." She whispered so quietly he was sure she'd not meant to have him hear. The tone in her voice was mysterious, but the meaning behind it was lost as Wufei and Trowa entered the shuttle and took their seats. She took her own, and he sat beside her.

"If you want to babe, you can hold my hand." He was surprised slightly when she reached out to take his hand, intertwining their fingers again. She looked nervous and unsure, though it was the set of her mouth that betrayed this, Not her eyes. Never her steely grey eyes. There was little other noise as Hiiro started the engine of the small shuttle, and they lifted off.

...

She was awed. She tried not show it, but she thought all of the occupants of the small shuttle could tell. While they were all young, they were very wise. They had not yet let on to who they were. Though Usagi herself knew she roomed with the former Gundam Pilots, and two very influential people from the wars. Their secrecy told her how important they were. Duo hadn't even given her their real names.

They chatted amicably, about this and that. Her attention was suddenly pulled from the conversation, to the window like a magnet, as before her shone the surface of the pale moon. It was like her heart was in a vice. Her eyes stayed on the shining place of her birth. For a moment, nothing else existed.

She didn't realize she'd been doubled over in pain until his voice broke through her reverie. Didn't realize she hadn't taken a breath until her lungs started to burn. His arms were on her shoulders, shaking her. Everyone else was quiet. Quatre was grasping his chest with sorrow in his eyes. Her vision was blurry, but she tried hard to focus on Duo. It was overwhelming, the thought of the Kingdom that had turned to dust, or the friends her soul wept for still. But Chaos was back. This weakness could not be tolerated. She couldn't falter now.

"Usa." It was as if everything had been mute up until then.. The sound of his worried voice finally came to her ears, "Usa, what's wrong?"

"I'm alright Duo." Her voice betrayed her. It was a gasp.

"You don't look alright." He was kneeling in front of her. He had moved from his seat to do so. With gentle hands, he uncurled her arms, and she winced as he pressed lightly at her side. His hands came back sticky with blood. "Your side." His voice was hushed. "Hiiro!"

There was a grunt from the pilots cabin. "15 minutes."

Usagi's vision was fuzzy again. She struggled to hold onto her consciousness. It was failing. There was the echo of Duo's voice in her head as she gave in, collapsing into his arms.

...

"We're almost there." They hadn't prepared for wounds on this trip. The best they could do was some gauze from the first aid kit in the shuttle. Duo had tucked it under Usagi's shirt and over the used bandages in an effort to stop the bleeding. When they had entered the airspace of L4, they'd had to strap her in. All eyes were on her and the growing stain on her side until they landed, and Duo bent to take her into his arms.

Just as he was about to, there was a hand on his shoulder. "Hiiro."

"I'll take her." The Japanese man bent down and scooped the prone body of Usagi into his arms before Duo could protest. "Quatre?" The Arabian stood, and hurried after Hiiro as he exited the shuttle.

Duo just shrugged his shoulders, wincing as mild pain shot through his arm. He supposed that was why Hiiro had offered to carry her. But with him, who knew? He'd known the man for years and he still didn't get him. He'd accepted that. The others had too. Maybe all except Quatre. Quatre, bleeding heart that he was, never gave up on anyone.

...

There were three vehicles waiting outside. Two were white sedans, and the other was a white van. Hiiro carried his burden to the back of the white van. He was satisfied to see the back had already been cleared out. Clearly Quatre had called ahead to the Maguanacs that had dropped off the vehicles.

As if the blonde had heard him, he spoke. "Rashid has a doctor waiting. But the Mansion is 45 minutes away Hiiro."

"Hnn." Hiiro looked down at the girl in his arms. She was lighter than he had imagined, as if her bones were hollow. Hair of pure silver was spilling over his arms, so long it drug across the ground. Her skin was still covered in bruises of blue and yellow. Her arms, neck, collarbone. Her cheek and left eye. As gently as he could, he transferred her to the floor of the back of the van. Again, reading his mind as he was apt to doing, Quatre jumped in next to her, kneeling beside her.

Nodding, Hiiro ran to the driver's seat, and started the van with a swipe of his fingertips. He liked the vehicles Quatre has on here at home. They were all fingerprint encoded, exclusively to their team. Taking a short glance in the rear-view mirror to make sure Quatre had the girl secured, he hit the gas and practically flew towards the Winner Mansion. His mission was to save the girl and extract what information he could from her. Hiiro Yui did not fail missions.

...

Hiiro watched Rashid and his eldest daughter, whose name he knew was Lana, tended to the unmoving form of the girl called Usagi. He stood out of the way, leaning against a tall mahogany dresser in the common room of the Mansion. They had been waiting there with all manners of gauze, bandages and salve. It was their own concoction. He had to admit, Quatre's servants were skilled at healing. It must run in the family. They'd pulled him out of a scare or two before.

"Ahem." Rashid cleared his throat, looking pointedly at him. He looked at Quatre, who had the decency to blush. Lana was removing Usagi's shirt. He scoffed, but looked away. As if he cared.

He didn't know why his eyes were drawn back when Rashid had turned away. She looked helpless, there on the soft cot Lana had laid on the floor. The bruises he'd seen on her collarbone traveled down her chest, beneath the black bra she was wearing. He watched Lana remove the bandages on her side as Rashid prepared a salve that would help coagulate the girl's blood. There were fingerprints bruised into her hips.

His fists clenched automatically. 'Sexual abuse.' The soldiers of Tenshu were cowards and brutes. Worse than that of OZ. He had heard Doctor Hasin's report. This girl was remarkable. To go through so much and survive... Walk and talk again. He'd seen plenty of men die over less. Though he had an inkling, a soldier's sense, that she was hiding something. He would find out when she woke. If she woke.

Rashid had applied the coagulating salve, and some healing compresses, and Lana followed by gently wrapping the wound with gauze, then tighter with clean white bandage. Usagi groaned in her unconsciousness. Good. If she could feel pain she was alive. That's how he had always gauged it. The absence of pain was death.

When Lana was done, she fussed about changing Usagi's other dressings. He turned away when she started cutting away the girl's pants, Rashid there to assist with his numerous salves. He wasn't an ecchi like Duo no baka.

Speaking of the devil. He narrowed his eyes as Duo burst through the door with two duffel-bags in his hands, his trademark grin plastered on his face. It did not reach his eyes. "How is she?" The braided pilot questioned.

Quatre answered, much to his relief. He was busy, thinking. This girl had only been there for days, and had already impacted two of his comrades. He knew them well enough to see it. They didn't need distractions at a time like this. But they needed what information she had. What information she was hiding. With one last glance her way, he spun on his heel, heading to his room on the second floor to consult his trusty laptop.

...

"I can see you." His voice was like silk shoved down her throat, soft and suffocating. She was frozen. Her limbs would not move. Nor would her mouth. Only her eyes could follow his shadowy form. She noticed with unsettling clarity that his shape was becoming more solid. "Do you think your precious protectors can save you from me? The King of all that is dark? "

Fear for the boys she held company with was like a stone in her chest. 'He wouldn't.' But she knew he would. He'd do anything to get to her. And without her crystal, she had no hope of defeating him. These boys fought with machines, not energy and spells. Chaos was a bit out of their league. Bullets would not frighten him.

"It will be so sweet, your demise." He chuckled. It was the sound of a nail against a chalkboard. "Will you take them along with you?"

A familiar voice was breaking through the fog of the plane that was their meeting place. Chaos spoke once more, both knowing she was waking once again. "You cannot hide from Pluto's SailorStar." Her eyes caught his grotesque smile, a parting of the shadows. "I will see you soon Serenity, and your little protectors too."

And then her eyes were open.

...

It smelled like...Aloe and Comfrey. How did she know those smells? The memory was beyond her reach at the moment. She was thirsty. She licked her lips and looked to her left. The room was dark. There were light covers pulled up to her breasts, which were covered in nothing but her sports bra.

Peeking, she saw that her pants had been taken and replaced with dark grey yoga pants. Her wound... It had been redressed, and pained her less than before. Which was good. Because she needed to be able to move. Soon.

She would not take them with her. These boys had had enough. She needed to get away, to find her crystal. She would not let them die as her senshi had. This was her responsibility. Her burden. She had no more time to think on it, as the door to the room she was in swung open, and light flooded in from the hallway.

Duo walked through the door with a plate of food and a glass of water in hand, and she had to admit the food smelled wonderful. She had forgotten it had been quite a while since she'd eaten anything.

"You're awake!" he said cheerily, and pulled a chair up backwards to sit beside her bed. "Stole some food from the kitchen for you."

He set on her lap a plate with potatoes, cut and boiled, and slices of beef, all doused in beef gravy, and then set the glass of water on her nightstand . "Oh, and this." He pulled from his back pocket a t-shirt, simple and black. She accepted both gratefully.

"Arigatou Duo-kun." She pulled the shirt over her head with little to no trouble, mildly surprised at the lack of pain. As she ate, Duo spoke.

"Rashid and Lana, two of Quatre's primo Doctor's here, patched you up. They are the best at what they do." She chewed thoughtfully. The food was delicious. "Maya cooked that food. I love being here just because of her. She's the best."

'Makoto.' It was a fleeting thought. She tried not to linger on the image of her friend, laughing as flour rose in the air. The smell of cookies filtering through the room. Her hunger sated, Usagi set the plate at her bedside, on a small nightstand, and looked at Duo. Really looked at him.

He was still chatting away about this and that. She traced his figure with her eyes. Lithe and strong. Detected the lines of many scars in his tanned skin. He had fought enough. That much was to be sure. Yet he maintained this pleasing personality, this wonderful smile. If she'd had any doubt there was good in this world, he and his friends had set her right. They were warriors of their own breed.

She turned her eyes quickly when he had stopped talking. She hadn't heard a word he said. "Is that ok?"

"Hmm? My apologies Duo-kun, I was lost in my thoughts." He smiled. Heart-breaker.

"I said Quatre will be moving you to your own room, close to ours. On the second floor. We're waiting on a few friends to arrive. He wanted to make sure you were comfortable in the mean-time."

"That's very generous of him." Duo scoffed.

"Believe me it's no trouble. Quat-man has room to spare." She wondered vaguely what he meant. "Can you stand?"

She nodded. Not that she was entirely sure, but she felt stronger. Resolved. Determined even. She would stand because she had to. He helped her to her feet, and she found her hand intertwined with his again. So sweet, this one. So open. She felt slightly guilty clinging to his hand. She was leaving. She had to leave. But the comfort was appreciated. Wanted. Would it hurt to have a taste? To pretend to be normal for just this moment? She hoped not.

She figured out what Duo had meant by Quatre having more than enough space when she stepped into the hallway with him. The place they occupied was huge. They were in a hallway with floors that stretched on forever, and doors in the hundreds. "This is all Quatre's?" She couldn't keep the awe out of her voice. Duo chuckled.

"You're not the first to be surprised."

"And I'm sure I won't be the last."

He led her to the left, where the hallway opened up into a large sitting room. Beside her, where the hallway opened up, was a flight of elegant looking stairs, dressed with a crystal chandelier. The whole Mansion was nothing but elegant. Quatre, Fire, and Wind sat on some of the plush red chairs that decorated the room, and looked up as she and Duo arrived.

Quatre stood. with a warm smile, and Usagi bowed. "I thank you for your hospitality Quatre-kun."

"It is the least I can do until you can recall where your own home is Usagi."

"You are too kind." She tried to keep the waver from her voice. Home? Home was gone. She belonged no where now.

"I will leave you in Duo's capable hands." Quatre said with laughter in his eyes. She noticed his attention was on their clasped hands. Perhaps it was selfish. She didn't think too much on it. And Quatre gave no other comment. Miss Fire and Mister Wind were quiet. "Perhaps you will join us for dinner if you feel up to it?"

She nodded. "I would love to." She waved a short goodbye as Duo tugged her in the direction of the stairs, and they began to ascend to the second level of the mansion. She had to leave tonight. These people didn't believe she had amnesia. She never had been a very good liar.

The stairs were not as high as she's imagined, and they were on the second floor soon. Four doors down on the right, Duo stopped, opening the door with his free hand. She was led then into a large room, with it's own bathroom, and a large balcony. The bed was canopy, with soft white gauzy material trailing from the of the furniture was mahogany. There was a nightstand, the queen sized bed, and a small table with two sitting chairs. Both the bathroom and the room itself were decorated with soft ivory's and dark reds.

"I'll leave you to explore babe." Duo said with a characteristic smile. " I have some things to do. See you at dinner?" She nodded, and he left, closing the door behind him. Her curiosity peaked at his need to leave so soon, but she brushed it off.

She was tired again, and the bed before her looked so inviting. Padding over to it barefooted, she climbed into the soft covers, and fell immediately into sleep.

...

Hiiro's hands flew over the keys of his laptop, but no matter how hard he searched, he had still not found any information on the girl who had fallen into their laps. Usagi was not a common name, but none of the women he found resembled her at all. None with steel grey eyes, or long silver hair. It was frustrating.

His thoughts turned of their own accord to her pale skin marred with bruises, the feel of her soft hair flowing over his arm. He shook his head to clear it. He didn't like the foreign feeling he gave her. He hadn't been so distracted by a mission since... Relena.

He frowned at the memory. It had been a long time since he'd thought of her. He hadn't seen Relena in a year. Since the End of the Eve wars. Quatre had given him updates on her progress, though he did not ask. From what he heard she was doing well. There had been a time, back then. When he thought he could stay with her. Love her.

It hadn't taken him long to realize it wasn't possible. He, with so much blood on his hands, could never love something as innocent as Relena. He didn't know the feeling. He was built to be a soldier. Nothing more.

But what was this new, alien feeling that rose in his chest when he thought of the mysterious Usagi? She wasn't like Relena. The girl had taken out half a base with a weapon no one could find. And survived weeks of torture and abuse with no hope of rescue. And still she maintained a look of cherubic innocence. Unsettled, he opted instead to push himself from his computer desk, moving to his bed.

Maybe sleep was what he needed.

...

Chaos hadn't invaded her dreams, this time. But she knew enough not to think this was a break. Or that she should stop worrying. His silence was reason enough to think he was up to something. He'd said he could see her. Something that shouldn't be hard as he was in possession of Pluto's Sailor Crystal. She cursed under her breath.

How had that happened? Had her Ginshinzou split from the Sailor Crystals upon her landing? If that was the case, they could be anywhere. And Chaos was already one step ahead of her. Just her luck. What a failure she was. She had failed to seal him, failed to save her friends. The people she loved the most.

The sunlight outside was fading. She would leave tonight. Because these men's lives were not going to be sacrificed for her too. Without her Ginshinzou, or the Sailor Crystals, she could not become Cosmos. She stood, and wandered to the large bathroom that was connected to her room. It was equipped with towels. She turned the water on in the shower, as hot as it could go, and closed the door. There was a floor length mirror behind it, and she stripped herself of her clothes and her bandages.

She gasped mildly in surprise. Her side, which had given her so much trouble previously, was fading to a pink scar. The bruises remained. Yellow now, almost healed, but there. They covered her from head to toe. Faint finger marks were at her hips. She shivered. She hadn't even gone that far with Mamoru. That incident had scarred her on the inside. A wound that would take much more time to heal. Just another thing she had to push down. Another thing she had no time for.

She stepped into the shower and pulled the sliding glass door closed, reveling in the feeling of the hot water washing over her. She imagined that it would absolve her sins, that it would make her clean again. There was cherry blossom soap and shampoo provided. The smell was wonderful. Quatre had thought of everything.

She scrubbed her side vigorously. It pained her little now. She didn't know what had returned her accelerated healing, but it renewed her to think she was regaining some power. Perhaps she didn't need the crystal. Perhaps being Cosmos ascended that power source. She was still unsure. But with Chaos' return, and no plausible way to find the Ginshinzou or the Sailor Crystals, she had to believe there was another way.

There had to be. Or she and this world would fall to darkness like so many worlds before it. She turned the water off and stepped out, wrapping herself in a towel that was so soft she sighed. She returned to her room with the clothes she had been wearing before, about to put them on, when she noticed the bag that Asiya had packed for her. She opened it on the bed with a smile.

Inside was a sun dress, deep red, two pairs of soft black yoga pants, and three shirts. one black t-shirt, one grey sport tank, and one red sport tank. As well as two black bras, and two pairs of comfortable black booty short underwear. She smiled at the girl's thoughtfulness, and decided upon a pair of yoga pants and the red sports tank. Packed underneath the clothes, were a pair of black sneakers, and a pair of red sandals, that matched the top and dress. She donned the sandals, and went back to the bathroom, starting the arduous task of brushing out her long hair. She wondered if all of Quatre's empty room were prepared for guests, or if he'd had this one set up for her.

As she pondered, there was a knock at the door. Still brushing her hair, she moved to open it. Quatre's smiling face was at the other end. He was so handsome. They all were. She wondered what the girls would say to her being in a house of five bishouen. Her resolve made it easier to think of them, but only just.

"Usagi."

"Please come in Quatre." She said, and stepped aside so he could enter. "I was just readying for dinner."

He looked around the room with nostalgia in his eyes. He was so easy to read. A strong empath. He wore his heart on his sleeve, but it did not seem to be a weakness on his part. "I trust you are comfortable?"

"The room is beautiful Quatre-kun." She said, setting the hairbrush down and running her fingers through her hair to help dry it. It was becoming wavy. Just another side effect from ascending into Cosmos' form, she supposed. "Your hospitality is quite generous."

"To be honest, I have more rooms than I know what to do with." He smiled upon her, and the feeling he broadcasted was serene.

"I was rather surprised to learn all of this belonged to you."

He laughed. "Most people are. The Winner mansion and Corporation were passed onto me at my father's passing." It did not seem to bother him to speak of it. She'd known that. Of course she did. She knew more of this boy than he could guess. "This room, used to be my sister Iria's."

She frowned as the memory resurfaced. Not her own, but his. The death of his father, Iria cut down protecting him. A peculiar new power. Something she hadn't possessed since the Moon Kingdom. The power to view others memories through a touch. Would he believe her if she told him? That she'd seen it all? That she knew his pain?

His eyes questioned her when she looked back up, and she covered her thoughts with a small smile. She hadn't realized the emotions that were playing over her face. "Iria. A pretty name."

He smiled back, his question forgotten, and nodded. "Yes. It was. She is buried in the rose garden on this property. Her favorite place to be." Usagi reached out to him before she could stop herself.

He looked first at the contact she made, her hand resting lightly on his arm, and then into her steel grey eyes, gasping as she flowed into him. It was pure instinct, to make the connection. The want to take his pain away. Though he spoke as if it did not matter, the loss of his father and sister was a scar on his heart.

"You mustn't blame yourself Quatre." She said softly. And though her eyes were hard, the set of her mouth was gentle, knowing.

He looked back at her with sorrow in his eyes. "Nor must you." The answer was like a physical blow. Her hand tightened on his arm, and for a moment they stood there, just staring into each others eyes. It was Quatre who shook away first, speaking softly. "I cannot pretend to know what happened to you Usagi. I only know it caused you great pain. I would like..." He paused, searching for the words. "You are more than welcome to stay here to heal. Body and mind."

She wondered what he had been meaning to say, before he'd changed his mind, but brushed it off. Patting his arm where she'd been holding him amicably. "Your kindness knows no bounds Quatre-kun." She brushed her hair behind her ear and stepped back. "I'll never know how to thank you." _**I only hope I can save you.**_

He nodded, smiling. "Shall we go to dinner then?" He held out and arm, and she took it gratefully, allowing him to lead her out of her room and down the hallway. Silently wishing there was another way. Wishing she didn't have to lie, and didn't have to leave.

...

_**And so ends another chapter! I split one chapter into two in the re-write, simply because it was sooooo long. I tend to ramble on at random moments. Keep following Usagi as she is sucked deeper into the Gundam world, and deeper into the hearts of our beloved boys. Ja, .**_


	5. Chapter Five : The Power Within

_**Disclaimer: I do Not Own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. As fervently as I wish I did. So don't sue, because all you'd be getting anyway is the lint in my pockets. I do however, own this plot, and I am very proud of it! So no stealing! :) **_

_**...**_

_**Fuseiseki : Failure**_

_**Chapter Five : The Power Within**_

_**...**_

Dinner was quiet, for the most part. There was the moment she had arrived, to see Wufei chasing Duo around the large table with a katana. Quatre had broken them up. She noticed Hiiro did not join them. She supposed it was better that way. He made her uneasy in a way she couldn't explain. She didn't need any distractions.

Usagi learned at dinner that Fire and Wind had been called away on some business, and would be returning to speak with her as soon as they were able. She took it all in stride. She was not stupid enough to think that the people who had taken her in were not suspicious of her. It mattered little. She'd be gone tonight. And even if she had decided to tell them the truth... she doubted they'd take the story that she was a thousand year old deity in stride.

When dinner was finished, she expressed that she was tired, and Duo offered to take her to her room. She reached out for his hand automatically, one last time. As they moved down the hallway after climbing the stairs, he pointed out to her each of their rooms. The first was Quatre's on the left, followed by Trowa's and then Duo's. On the right, was Wufei's, her own, and Hiiro's. Interesting how they had caged her in. She wondered if some part of them knew she did not intend to stay. Or perhaps none of them had the heart to occupy Iria's room.

When they got to the door, she looked up into Duo's eyes. He was startled by the sudden change in her demeanor, for she had grown very quiet. "Arigatou, for walking me to my room, Duo-kun." Why was it so hard? To leave them? It was tearing her in two already.

"Your welcome babe." He said with his signature smile, he reached up and brushed his unruly bangs out of his eyes. "Are you okay, Usa?'

She smiled because she had to. "I'm fine." She squeezed his hand, and because she had to, because she needed to, jumped into his arms for a hug. Her arms did not reach all the way around him, but she buried her face in his chest. He returned it after some hesitation, but before he could say anything, she pulled away. "Goodnight Duo." She said softly, and opened the door to her room without turning away, disappearing inside and closing it behind her with a soft click.

Once inside, she leaned against the door for support, and willed the bad feeling in her chest to go away. "Goodbye." It was a soft whisper. This was the right thing to do. She was saving them, wasn't she? Then why did it feel so wrong?

She moved to the bed and removed her sandals, laying above the covers. She would have to wait until all was quiet, to make her move. It was best they come for in the morning and simply find her gone. She hoped they didn't search for her.

She had not meant to, but in the quiet of her room, she dozed off, waiting for her moment.

...

_**"Come to me..."**_ The voice was overpowering. It promised warmth, love, anything she wanted if she obeyed. She walked the dark streets, coming to stop before a large tree in Winner Park. He was there. He was waiting.

She couldn't scream when her body started moving of it's own accord. Couldn't stop him from taking her. She had made it so easy. Too easy. In the waters of the lake the tree stood next to her eyes glew a brilliant red. And a voice that was not her own, too cold, too dark, issued form her lips.

"_**I'm waiting for you Serenity." **_She couldn't scream. She wished she'd never come here, never heard that voice. It was too late. She couldn't scream.

...

Usagi awoke with a gasp. A girl. he had taken a little girl. He'd let her see it with her own eyes. She knew it was bait, knew it was a bad idea, but the innocent soul cried out to her. She had to go now.

She rushed through tying the black sneakers on her feet, and moved to the balcony, opening the swinging doors as quietly as she was able. She had to hurry. The drop to the gardens below was daunting. She hesitated at the edge of the balcony for only a second, and jumped.

She landed crouched on the soft grass of the gardens, and no longer had her feet touched the floor, than she ran. Ran for all she was worth, towards the cry of the small one's soul.

She did not see the eyes of Prussian blue in the dark, watching her descent with rapt interest. Was so focused, that she did not see him follow her, taking the 10 foot drop himself, easily, and landing with a roll. She only kept running. Fear in her heart.

...

The park was quiet. She didn't know how far she had run. Her chest heaved with the loss of breath. Her limbs ached. She was healing, yes, but it was nowhere near her usual rate. She stopped at the edge of a small lake, beneath a large Cherry Blossom tree. It was heavy with flowers, and the air was warm. Here. She'd seen the girl here. But where was she now?

She turned at the snap of branches. Nothing. A squirrel. And when she turned back there was the barrel of a gun in her face, behind it, Deep Prussian blue eyes. "Omae o Koruso."

Her own eyes softened. How could she have been so careless? To let him follow her. Behind him there was movement, and she ducked beneath the barrel of his gun in one swift movement, wrapping her arms around him and taking him down to the ground with her. She rolled away from him, back into a crouch when they hit the ground, holding her shoulder. He was fast. The bullet had grazed the skin there.

Her eyes turned to the tree she had been leaning on. The bark was scorched. Her vision flickered then, to the small girl that stood meters away from them, her hands raised in the air and her eyes glowing red.

"Nice dodge, Serenity." The voice was childlike, but menacing in a way that made her shiver. She stood, ignoring her shoulder. Hiiro was crouched a foot away from her, and his gun was now pointed at the girl.

"Let her go." There was no emotion in her voice. It wasn't conscious. It was the presence of him, that made her insides cold.

"Now that would be no fun." The girl still had her hands in the air. "Who should I kill first Serenity?" The girl's eyes narrowed. It was so unnatural to see such a look upon such an innocent looking face. "You, or your little boy toy?"

"Omae o Korosu." Hiiro was standing. She didn't spare a glance at him. Didn't have time. She ran to jump before him as the fizzle of energy and the sound of two, quick gunshots rang through the air. The power this girl emitted from her hands was strong enough to knock both she and Hiiro back into the scorched tree. She grunted with the force of the blow, the smell of burning flesh filling her nostrils. She groaned. It was her flesh burning.

Hiiro's arms were around her. She could feel his breath, It was short. His eyes weren't on her however, they were on the girl.

She was standing there with a look on her face that embodied pain. Two gunshot wounds were in her chest, and deep red blood leaked steadily from them, staining her white sun dress. Her long blue hair, tied in pigtails, trailed to the ground.

Usagi pushed herself away from Hiiro, standing once again. As she watched, Chaos took the body over once more, his influence had only left long enough for the girl herself to take the shots. She felt her fists clench. That evil bastard.

"Feeling sorry for my young pawn, Serenity?" The blood was falling faster from the wounds. It dripped down the girl's bare legs to puddle on the ground. She raised her arms again. It was enough. There was a spark inside her that lit like a fire, and without thinking, she raised her hands, the words coming to her lips as if they'd always been there.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" The arrow of fire was loosed from the bow, and in the same moment the girl let off one more burst of red, crackling energy. The arrow hit it's mark, and the ball of energy hit...Hiiro.

She cried his name as he was bounced yet again off the solid tree, and she watched him fall, unconscious and looking broken. Her eyes turned, filled with hatred towards the girl, and softened as she realized she was just that, a scared little girl. Chaos was gone, driven away no doubt by the sudden attack. Usagi wrung her hands. The small form of the girl had collapsed to the ground.

She cast out her senses, and could not find the dark presence of her forever enemy. For a moment she was undecided who to go to first, and with a cry of frustration, moved to Hiiro's side. His breathing was shallow. The energy that had hit his chest had burned through the black tank he was wearing. She laid him gently as she could on his back, her heartbeat too fast in her chest. At least he was alive.

"Oh Hiiro." She whispered. "You shouldn't have followed me." Her mouth was caught in a silent 'o' of surprise when his eyes opened. "Hiiro."

"Daijoubou Ka?" He said it simply, in the same monotone he always used. She looked down at the skin of her chest and stomach. It was bloody, raw, and burnt. Her shirt was in tatters. Her shoulder bled very little. She shook her head, her hair flying about as she did so.

"Are you okay Hiiro-san?" He tried to sit up, but she could see the pain in his eyes. If only she had her ginshinzou, she could heal him. She could fix this. Oh, how had it all gone so wrong?

There was a gasp behind her. And a gurgle. She turned apologetic eyes on Hiiro, and moved away from him, towards the small, prone form of the little girl. She stared up into the canopy with red eyes. Not glowing, just red. They matched the baubles in her pigtails. And the stain that was spreading across her dress.

"Gomen Nasai. Little one." Usagi could not stop the tears. They were like an river, pouring down her face.

"He promised. I'd be warm again." The girl croaked. She was so close to death Usagi could feel it. It was a tug on her soul. It hurt more than her body did.

"And you will be." Usagi promised, forcing her voice to be steady. She reached out and brushed strands of blue from the girl's eyes, and when she stopped breathing, she closed them with a shaky hand.

"She was just a little girl." She whispered. And she knew Hiiro's eyes were upon her. Could feel them, boring into her back. And there was that fire again, in her soul. She reached for it for solace, reached for it because there was nothing left to do. "SHE WAS JUST A LITTLE GIRL!" It was half a scream, and half a sob, and then, as light poured from her chest, her very being, she was ripped in two.

...

"Oh Hiiro. You shouldn't have followed me." He could hear her soft voice. It pulled him up from his unconsciousness, and he opened his eyes to meet hers. They were different than before, now a soft, shining silver instead of grey. "Hiiro."

It took him a moment to gather his thoughts. They had just been in a fight with a little girl. A little girl that had been shooting energy from her palms. He looked at Usagi's shoulder, and the burns on her chest she had acquired jumping in front of him. She'd saved him from a blow, and he had shot her in the shoulder. He was not so cold that hid didn't feel slightly guilty. But he'd thought...He'd thought she'd meant to... What the hell was going on? "Daijoubou Ka?" He asked.

She shook her head. He was amazed. She ignored the bleeding wounds she had to tend to him. Who was this girl? "Are you okay Hiiro-san?" There was a gasp in the distance, followed by an unnatural gurgle. The girl. She was still alive? What had happened? He remembered Usagi shooting an arrow. A flaming arrow. And then, darkness. Her eyes were apologetic when she left his side, and he struggled to sit up, leaning against the tree's base as he watched her.

His back hurt. He felt that perhaps his ribs had been broken. And his chest burned. He had been hit by the energy that small thing had omitted. But, Usagi had too, much more directly that he had, and seemed not to notice.

She bent over the girl, meters away from him, by the edge of the duck pond, and whispered to her. He could not make out the words. His mind was fuzzy with pain and confusion. He'd seen alot in his years, but never something like this. He was still having a hard time wrapping his brain around it.

"SHE WAS JUST A LITTLE GIRL!" Usgai screamed, with such sorrow in her voice it startled the perfect soldier, and as he watched, a light started at her chest. It enveloped her in seconds, so bright he had to shield his eyes, and when it died down, in Usagi's place stood a goddess.

Her hair was done in two heart shaped Odangos, and trailed in a wind that was created by the mere presence of her. She wore a short, white and silver fuku, with gauzy accents the color of rainbows trailing from her waist, her chest, and the knee length white and silver boots she wore. Pure white angel wings had burst from her shoulder-blades, and her skin was not marred, no bruises, no cuts, just the pure color of moonlight embodied.

She reached down to brush the hair of the girl that lay in the dirt, and then turned to him. He could not help his eyes widening in shock. She was gorgeous. Her face spoke of elegance and an innate confidence. She was like a Queen.

His eyes met hers as she came closer. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. They were pure silver. No white or pupils to be seen. She fluttered her huge wings and she kneeled before him, reaching out as pale hand. He was too shocked to move as she laid her palm to his cheek, speaking softly. "So cold, little warrior." Her voice was so commanding he felt if she'd asked him, he'd jump off a bridge for her.

"Who are you?" He managed.

She laughed. "I'd never ask you to jump off of a bridge Hiiro-san." What was she? had he said that aloud? "No, you did not say it aloud." She laughed again at the look on his face. It was like the jingling of heaven's bells. "This form hears all, sees all. Knows all. But it will not last forever, I fear. She is weak." She smiled and his heart stopped. He could only follow her with his eyes and her hand trailed down to his chest, softly prodding.

Light started where her fingers touched, and he gasped in wonder as the wounds he had sustained, simply dissipated. Heard the crack of his own ribs as they mended themselves. There was no pain. Only a tingling that seemed to travel through every nerve. "There." she said, satisfied.

And then her eyes were full of sadness. His resolve kept him from reaching out to her. "Who are you?" He asked, again. His voice was gruffer than he had meant it to be.

"I am Usagi." She said with a soft smile. "And I am not. I am sure she will explain when she wakes. It takes alot, without her ginshinzou, to bring me into existence." She frowned. It looked wrong on her face. She turned from him for a moment, looking at the still form of the little girl. Then her eyes turned back to his.

"I cannot stay." She said simply. "Take care of Usagi. Little Warrior. She needs all the help she can get. War is upon us again."

As he watched the white's of her eyes returned, and the silver faded to a steel grey. He was looking at Usagi again. Her entire body spasmed as the wings wrenched back into her back, leaving bleeding scores at her shoulder-blades. He put his hands to her shoulders to steady her, his eyes wide.

When the spasms left her, her eyes stared into his, and she spoke. "Hiiro-san." He caught her as she collapsed into his arms, and with her face in his chest, she whispered. "I'm so glad you're okay." And then nothing but silence.

Gathering her up in his arms, her blood painting his skin, he took one last look at the small dead from of the girl that had attacked them, and lifted Usagi, carrying her back to Winner Mansion in the dark.

...

Quatre's mouth was agape when he met Hiiro at the gates of Winner Mansion. "What happened Hiiro?" He questioned. But the perfect soldier did nothing more than deposit Usagi on the cot Rashid and Lana had waiting, and trudge up the stairs. He refused to have Lana tend to him, though he was covered in blood.

Duo, Trowa and Wufei appeared at the bottom of the stairs with question in their eyes. They had obviously seen the pilot on his way up.

"Usa." Duo ran to be beside the girl, but Quatre stopped him.

"She's injured Duo. Let Rashid and Lana care for her." Trowa was beside him.

"What happened?" Quatre shook the blonde locks from his eyes. He really needed a haircut.

"I don't know." He looked at the pale girl. Rashid was gently washing the blood from the bullet wound on her shoulder, trying to decide whether to tend to the burns on her chest, or the long cuts on her shoulder blades. "Hiiro walked in with her a moment ago. I wouldn't have even known they were gone, but he rang the bell at the front gate to get in."

"Was it Tenshu?" Wufei asked. His arms were crossed over his chest in his usual fashion. "Did they come for her?"

"I don't know Wufei." Quatre was frustrated. Hadn't he just said that? "And Hiiro wouldn't speak. I suggest we allow Rashid and Lana to take care of Usagi and wait until one of them decides to tell us."

"Injustice." Wufei grumbled, but he begrudgingly took a seat. They all knew better than to try to get The perfect soldier to talk. He would tell them what happened when he saw fit.

Quatre ran a hand through his hair and sat, and smiled when Trowa sat down next to him. Duo took a chair as well, and together, they waited to see how Usagi would fare.

...

He sat in the dark. His clothes were still covered in her blood and his own, though he no longer had any injuries to speak of. He had to wait. To wait, to see if she would survive. The Usagi that was not Usagi, had said to take care. To take care of her.

But he did not have the expertise that Rashid and Lana had. He would wait until she woke up. And then she would tell him what happened. What she was, and what her alter ego had meant by 'the war that was upon them'. He would wait.

...

'You must tell them.' She had never fought with herself like this. Yes, she had screamed in the mirror, or chided herself secretly, but she was literally fighting with herself. Usagi, Serenity and Cosmos stood before her, and each had something to say.

'They can help you.' Usagi's eyes were bright with mirth. She seemed to find this amusing.

{I won't involve others in this fight.} She said, stubbornly.

*So you'd leave it up to you alone? With half your powers and all those injuries?* Cosmos's voice was hard. *Think clearly. Do they not have a right to fight for their world too?*

{Why would they believe me?} She was exasperated.

[I think you jumped through that hoop by transforming in front of the perfect little warrior.] Serenity scoffed.

{He is not little.} She pouted. Goddess, this was too strange.

[I am over three thousand years old.] Serenity protested. [He is little to me.]

{You can't fight Chaos with bullets.} She had them there.

*The perfect soldier has proven you can.* Her eyes were wild when she answered.

{It destroys the host!} Cosmos was unforgiving.

*Chaos destroys the host. You know this.* She hung her head because she knew it was true. *You don't have room to be soft this time, dearest.* Her voice was just the slightest bit quieter. *There will be more lives lost. It is up to you on which side.*

'We are right here with you.' Usagi was at her side, a comforting hand on her shoulder. 'We are you. You needn't worry.'

She sighed. {I am worried. I'm floating on a plane in my own mind talking to all three of my-selves. If you are Serenity,} She pointed. (And you are Usagi,} Another point. {And you are Cosmos. Who am I?} Her finger was at her chest, and Usagi reached out to grab her hand. Cosmos followed suit, and not long after, so did Serenity. Between all their fingers, hands stacked together, there was a glow.

[We are all different.] Serenity said with a smile. [And all the same. You are us. And we are you.]

*There is no separation. We merely wait for you to accept us. And to accept the responsibility of ascending with us.*

{If it helps in the defeat of Chaos, I accept right now.}

Usagi giggled. 'If it were that easy he'd be gone.' Her hand squeezed her own. 'It will take time. And it will take help. You are weak without the ginshinzou.'

*Rest.* Cosmos said. *Prepare. Yourself and the men you stay with. This war is theirs too. I think you will find them in-disposable allies. We must go.*

[We will not be able to come to you again.] Serenity said, and looked sad. [But we want you to know, they believe in you.] She could tell in her eyes that she meant her court, her senshi.

'As do we.' Usagi said. 'So please believe in us too. Believe in yourself.'

*Take care.* Cosmos said. *The road ahead is long and filled with peril. Be strong.*

She got one last look at each of them, before she floated up into consciousness. When she opened her eyes, they started into Hiiro's Prussian orbs. And she couldn't help herself. "Kuso."

...

**Damn imagination. It's running rampant right now. Which is good, because I have lots of story material on another chapter soon. I've also kicked the story into high gear. Now Hiiro knows Usagi's secret. A lot of explaining in the next chapter. Please try not to get bored, and remember to review! How am I supposed to know you like it if you don't review? Ja, .  
**


	6. Chapter Six : Why Are You Running Away?

**Disclaimer : I do not own Gundam Wing, or Sailor Moon, Do I Duo? *Duo pouts* I didn't mean I don't want to... I would own you so hard! *Duo smiles...jumps on .* Oh Duo...**GRIN***

**...**

**Fuseiseki : Failure**

**Chapter Six : Why are you Running Away?**

...

She hadn't meant to curse. The gravity of the situation before her had forced the word from her lips. Hiiro was leaning over her, his eyes on hers. Just the proximity of him made her heart beat too fast.

"Daijoubu?" He was so close that his breath brushed her lips. She shivered.

"Daijoubu Ka." It wasn't entirely true. Her body ached. She felt as if she'd been hit by a truck, and though she'd rested, her eyes felt ready to close again.

"Don't lie to me." It wasn't a command per-say, more of a statement. She swallowed hard, because she knew what was coming.

"Hiiro...I..." He cut her off.

"Why did you save me?" He asked. His voice was the softest she'd ever heard it. It was still it's traditional monotone, but there was something there... Something she'd never heard before. "Why not the girl?"

"The girl was already gone." She said, and could not keep the sorrow from her voice. "Very few survive Chaos' influence. Least of all the young ones."

"That's what it's called?" He said. "This enemy?"

"My enemy." She said, and her voice was hard. "Eternally." She searched his eyes. Found nothing but quiet acceptance. Perhaps she had been wrong in thinking he wouldn't believe her. Although what he had gone through had a tendency to change anyone's mind. "Let me tell you a story." She whispered.

When he nodded, she began.

...

Quatre sighed. He had already fielded three calls about the death of a small girl in the confines of Winner Park, two gunshot wounds to the chest. They had found her to be an orphan, but the news was all over it. He had a bad feeling it had something to do with Hiiro and Usagi, but hadn't voiced it yet.

"How is she?" Duo brushed his bangs out of his eyes, and 'plopped' into the plush red chair in the common room.

"Alive." Quatre said grimly. "She lost alot of blood. Hiiro is with her."

"Sure that's the best idea?" Duo asked, his mouth twisting in a half smile.

Quatre shrugged. "He brought her back."

"Yeah." Duo said thoughtfully. "He did."

Quatre's eyes turned to the top of the stairs as footsteps echoed in the silence. Hiiro stood there, his eyes shadowed by his unruly hair. "She's awake." He said simply, and turned, walking back towards Usagi's room.

Duo stood with a stretch, looking at Quatre. The blond sighed, and stood as well. "I'll get Trowa and Wufei, and meet you there."

...

He hadn't said much. She had told him all she could, til her breath grew short and her vision became fuzzy. He took it calmly, more calmly than she had expected. Perhaps she had underestimated him.

"You will tell them." He said when she had finished. "All that you told me."

She nodded. There was energy to do much more. She was surprised when he reached out, tilting her chin up so she was looking straight into his eyes. "You can't blame yourself forever." The feel of his calloused fingers on her face made her heart beat so fast that she was dizzy again. What was it about him that did this to her?

She answered the only way she could. "Neither can you." There was question in his eyes. Guarded, but it was there. "I know who you are Hiiro. What you do."

His grip tightened on her chin. It wasn't menacing. It was a warning. One she didn't heed. "Did you think my powers only extended so far? Cosmos told you. I see all. Know all. It's coming back to me slowly."

She didn't stop speaking as Duo entered the room, followed by Trowa, and Wufei. All or nothing. They would accept her and fight, or she would do it on her own. "Gundam Pilot 01. Wing Zero." She shifted her eyes to each pilot as she called them out. "Duo Maxwell. 02. Deathscythe Hell. Trowa Barton. 03. Heavy Arms. Quatre Reberba Winner. 04. Sandrock. And Wufei Chang. 05. Altron." Her eyes turned back to Hiiro's. "Warriors of a different kind, but Warriors all the same. Destined by birth to fight for your world."

She reached her hand up, and gently took Hiiro's in her grasp, pulling it from her chin and placing it on her lap, over the covers. "I would be asking you to fight again." She looked around the room, at every pair of eyes that was on her. "To fight a war you may not understand."

Hiiro pulled his hand from hers and stood. He had heard this story already. As he exited the room, Duo took his seat, glancing at his comrade before settling his attention on her. She smiled lightly at him. Her head was airy. She felt like she was floating."Usa...you should be..."

She cut him off with a raised hand. "This needs to be done Duo." She brought her hands to her chest, and pushed. There was a well of what she needed inside. What she needed to convince them. With a sigh, she blinked, and when she looked back upon them the eight point star of Cosmos was upon her brown, and her eyes were the pure, pupil-less silver of starlight. There was a collective gasp, and she smiled.

"Thousands of years ago, on the Moon that floats above the Earth now, There was a kingdom. To the Queen of that Kingdom, a daughter was born, who was the light of their world. They called her.."

Duo cut in. "Serenity." Usagi smiled, and nodded.

"Yes. They called her Serenity. I should have known you'd know something of the fables. She grew to be a beautiful woman, and was loved by all. For protection, she held a court of Eight women, the princesses of the Eight Planets. Mars, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter were her constant companions. Pluto, Uranus, Saturn and Neptune watched from afar. It was decided that to unite all the planets as one, The Moon Princess would be betrothed to The Prince of Earth, Endymion." She sighed at the memory. "They were very much in love. But there was one who was jealous of their union, a woman named Beryl, who caught hold of a dark power called Metallia, to rid the world of Serenity and take Endymion and both Kingdoms for herself. They fought a bitter battle. But with the Outer Senshi too far away to give much aid, and Serenity's guards as inexperienced as they were, Endymion was killed, and the Kingdom fell. In her grief, Serenity took the sword of her beloved, and ran it through her own heart."

Usagi's fists were clenched. "Queen Selenity, her mother, was saddened by this outcome, and with all the strength she had left, she used the Moon's ultimate weapon. This crystal, called the ginshinzou, banished Beryl and Metallia and sent Serenity and her court a thousand years into the future, to be reborn. What she did not anticipate, was the return of the evil at their rebirth."

The room was quiet. She had their rapt attention. "In the year 2002, when Usagi Tsukino turned 14, she was approached by one of the lunar guardians reborn in that time, and was pressured to become Sailor Moon. She was given the Ginshinzou to heighten her power. Slowly, all the scouts reawakened, and they were pulled into battle after battle to keep their world safe from this evil. It was found much later, that Usagi was actually the reincarnation of Serenity, as all the girls were reincarnation of the former planetary princesses. Tuxedo Kamen, the only male fighter in their group,was found to be the reincarnation of Endymion. They were called the Sailor Senshi. "

"The Sailor Senshi were said to have existed over two thousand years ago." It was Trowa who spoke. So smart, these boys.

"And also said to have mysteriously disappeared. Along with any trace of what they were fighting." Wufei said it this time. So they had brushed up on her history.

"We did not disappear." She said it strongly. "Or I should say, my court did not. They died, each one of them, by my hand." She closed her eyes for a moment. The memories were still fresh. "Mamoru, otherwise known as Endymion, or Tuxedo Kamen, was the first to go. You see the evil that had followed my senshi and I is as everlasting as I seem to be. It hungers for my light just as I know it's darkness. It reformed, into a being called Chaos. Mamoru was away at college in America. Chaos struck him down while he was weak. In an attempt to atone for his death, and to save the world we loved, My senshi and I traveled to the Moon to defeat Chaos. He turned them against me with the promise of being normal. For you see, that was all we ever wanted. To stop fighting. To have real lives. Unattached to the destiny the fates had set before us. To save the world I felled them all, and with the last of their strength, the last of their loyalty, they granted me the power of their starseeds. The hidden strength within their souls, given to them by their guiding planets. It is what made into what you see now. Cosmos. The Goddess of Stars."

The light of her eight pointed star grew bright at the mention of the name. She sighed with pure exhaustion. "I used the Ginshinzou, my birthright, to seal Chaos into the Cauldron. But it didn't work the way I planned. Instead, I was thrown light years into the future. To your time, and Chaos, weakened but still alive, followed me here. As far as I know, your Tenshu is just a manifestation of the evil Chaos brings out of people. He is the embodiment of such. He has acted alone so far. I left the mansion last night because I sought to protect you from an enemy that was rightfully mine. Hiiro followed me."

"The girl." All eyes turned to Quatre when he gasped the words. "Did Hiiro...'

"Please do not think badly of your comrade." Usagi stressed, raising her hands in a plea. "He eliminated a threat. I told you Chaos brings out the worst in people. He is also a master Manipulator. That girl was looking for warmth. He promised it to her. But he sought only to use her for his own means. Through her, he attacked Hiiro and I. The death of the girl was unfortunate." She sighed, and tried to push away the tears. "My soul weeps for her still. But to save this world, means more casualties of the like. Had I my Ginshinzou..."

"It was supposed to be the source of Sailor Moon's power." Trowa stated calmly. They were all taking this very well. Her eyes moved to Wufei. Maybe not all of them. He was looking as indignant as ever.

"I am not Sailor Moon." She furrowed her brow. "Wait, that's not right." She was so tired. "I am, and I'm not. I am Serenity, and Usagi, and Sailor Moon. But I am also Cosmos. Goddess that sounds stupid." She chided herself aloud. "But it's true. Somehow, when I landed here, the Ginshinzou was lost, or broken apart. The Sailor Stars I had received from each of my senshi split. Chaos found me with Pluto's Sailor Star. As she was the senshi of time, this makes things more difficult. But I have found the transformation used in the battle with Chaos transcends the Crystal. It will take time, but I can call the powers back to myself manually. Hiiro was severely wounded in the battle. I healed him."

"Why didn't you heal yourself Onna?' Wufei's voice dripped with skepticism.

"It doesn't work that way." She reached up to her shoulder, undoing the bandages that wrapped around it. There was a soft 'oh' from Quatre's lips as they all gazed upon the clean, smooth flesh. The bullet wound was gone. "My healing is accelerated. Especially in this form. But I cannot use the powers on myself."

"So you expect us to believe you are a princess from Three thousand Years in the past? A warrior of light?" Wufei asked.

"Yes. Wufei. I do." She said simply. "But I don't ask you to accept it right away. You should think on it. This battle will be like none other you have ever fought, and it will come whether you like it or not. I have no doubt Chaos will wheedle his way into Tenshu's fight, and it will be upon your hands anyway. I am here to help. To fight with you. I have driven Chaos away for now. He underestimated my power without the ginshinzou. He will need to heal for some time. You have that time to decide whether or not you will join me. Or if you will let me join you."

The room was silent. With a heavy sigh, Usagi dropped the bit of power she had been using to hold her eight pointed star, and her eyes dulled back to their steely grey, pupils returning. For a moment, she held eyes with the men in her room, searching for any emotion. But the story and the light show had proved too much, and with a gasp, she fell into sweet, dark, unconsciousness.

...

"You believe her." Wufei said. he was leaning against the edge of the couch in the common room.

"Yes, I do." Quatre said seriously. "What reason would she have to lie?"

"Dude, do you ever uncross your arms?" Duo asked. He was tipped precariously on his chair, at the small table in the corner of the room. "It's been like... years."

Wufei glared at him, and he returned it with a winning smile. "Are you ever serious baka?"

"Sure I am." The braided pilot said. "I believe her too."

"Injustice." Wufei grumbled. "Trowa, you too?"

Trowa had been quiet throughout the conversation. "The facts are hard to ignore."

Wufei sighed. It wasn't that he was ignoring the facts. The story itself was just so... unbelievable. He was having a hard time wrapping his brain around it. "So say we do join this battle? How do we fight the ultimate evil?"

"I think Usagi, or Cosmos, meant to test our loyalties first." Quatre said. "The real question right now is, DO we accept this mission?"

"Shinigami is always ready to fight." Duo said, his lips spread in a menacing grin.

"Then we know you are decided." Quatre said. He looked around the room. Wufei still looked indignant, and Trowa looked undecided. "We still have time to think on this. In the meantime, I will contact Milliardo and Noin."

"Are you sure it's wise to involve them so early?" Trowa asked, his eyebrow raised slightly.

"I think they should know what's going on." Quatre said. "But I trust your intuition my friend."

Trowa smirked. Quatre hoped no one saw his blush. "Wait." Trowa said simply, with the smirk still on his lips. Duo picked that moment to fall ungracefully onto his head when his chair tilted back. Quatre tried not to laugh, but failed.

"Duo no baka." Wufei spit. There was a ghost of a smile on his lips. Trowa was smirking just the slightest bit wider. Quatre held his chest as the laughter subsided, and a miffed looking Duo was back up on his feet. These were the people he trusted with his life. He would follow them to the ends of the earth if need be.

...

Hiiro sat in his room, his fingers once again flying over the keys of his laptop. he'd gone through scores of information on The Sailor Senshi, The Moon Kingdom, Sailor Moon, and the Like. There were blurry pictures, newspaper articles, and many books on the legend, but there was only one book, one person, who had mapped it all together. A book written by a female, who went only by, Molly. It told the story Usagi had just told him. In theory. It did not involve the ultimate form Usagi spoke of, had spoke with, but theorized that The Sailor Senshi disappeared at the same moment Usagi Tsukino; Rei Hino; Makoto Kino; Minako Aino; Haruka Ten'oh; Michiru Kaioh; Hotaru Tomoe; and Mamoru Chiba had. So the identities must be one in the same. It also touched aspects of the Moon Kingdom, and the possibility of it being connected in some way. He would have to ask Usagi about this. It only mentioned 7 girls besides her.

He skimmed the pages fast. It was written two thousand years ago. He'd found it locked away in Preventer files held by Oz. Figures Treize would look into something like that. That guy could have made the devil sing in his day.

He paused. Usagi described an enemy worse than Treize. Worse than anyone he'd ever fought. Someone...No...Something. That brought out the evil in everyone. That could shield itself with an innocent child. They had all wondered at the sudden appearance of a faction after so much peace. Perhaps Chaos had been working it's magic even before Usagi had arrived. Waiting. Building strength.

If that was the case... He stood, snapping his laptop closed with an audible 'click'. They needed to leave. Now.

...

**My first super cliffie! OH my, just what will happen next? If you haven't guessed the pairings by now you deserve to be left in the dark. Please keep reviewing Minna! It keeps me motivated. Until next time... Ja... .**


	7. Chapter Seven : Run Faster

_**Disclaimer : I do not own Gundam Wing, or Sailor Moon, but after I post this, I'm going to have sexy, wonderful dreams about Duo and Heero in the same room with me, naked. :)**_

**...**

**Fuseiseki : Failure**

**Chapter Seven : Run Faster**

**...**

Usagi groaned when she felt the hands on her wrists. "Okite Kudosai." Her eyes snapped open, confused, and settled on the image of Hiiro hovering above her. She was so tired.

"Hiiro." She said softly. "Nande?"

"Is it possible that Chaos has been here longer than you?" She snapped to attention.

"I suppose it could be, Hiiro.." He cut her off with a look.

"You said he was an influence. That he could build upon the evil of others." She nodded. "Have you taken a look at our History Usagi?" It was the first time he's said her name. What an absurd thing to think at the time, but she couldn't help but notice. She brushed it off quickly.

"I didn't even think..." He pulled her from her bed, bringing her into his arms. She didn't even have time to gasp. The wounds on her shoulder blades ached, they had not yet closed, but she didn't have the energy to fight him, so she just hung on for the ride.

...

She was warm in his arms. He tried to ignore it. He couldn't deny the way she made his heart speed up just a little bit. Couldn't pretend he didn't like the smell of her hair. The distraction was the target. It was Relena all over again. He stormed down the hall as fast as he could without jarring her wounds. It would do no good to harm her further. She needed no more pain. But if he was right. They needed to leave. NOW.

Quatre, Wufei, Duo and Trowa were in the common room when he arrived at the top of the stairs. Both Duo and Quatre rushed to greet him, question in their eyes, as Trowa and Wufei stood.

"Get two cars ready." Hiiro demanded, letting Duo take Usagi into his arms. They all looked at him, for a second, before Quatre obeyed. This was the trust they had. No matter the circumstance. "Get her in one." Hiiro said to Duo, who nodded.

Trowa and Wufei needed no prodding. They both hurried to gather equipment. "2 minutes." Hiiro said. And they all ran in separate directions.

...

When they were in the cars, Duo, Usagi and Hiiro in a black SUV, and Trowa, Wufei and Quatre in a white Van, Hiiro explained over a linked com Quatre had installed in most of his vehicles.

"If this thing is what she says it is." He said grimly. "It can find us here."

Quatre came over the link. *What makes you think so?* He guessed Trowa was driving their Van. Duo was driving in his vehicle. Hiiro's gun was at the ready.

Usagi took the walkie from him in a swift motion form the back seat, he glared at her, but let her speak. "Hiiro thinks, and could very well be right, that Chaos was spreading his influence before I arrived. Which means he's much stronger than I anticipated. The Sailor Move I used to push him away won't last for long."

She gasped, and threw her arm up in the air. Instantly the two cars were protected by a wall of shimmering purple energy. Hiiro stared at her. She stared back with wild eyes. "Gomen Nasai Minna." She said into the walkie. "Looks like this battle is meant to involve you." Hiiro caught the walkie as she threw her other hand up, looking like she was fighting not to pass out.

"Hiiro?" Duo said aloud.

"Keep driving Duo." He said, and then over the link. "Keep Driving."

_** "Impressive." **_The voice was everywhere and nowhere. Usagi's eyes lit an instant silver, her pupils fading away as the eight pointed star blazed on her forehead. _**"I'd thought you useless without the Ginshinzou Serenity. This is much more fun."**_

"Fuck you." Usagi spit. And Hiiro couldn't help his eyes widening in surprise.

"Where are we going Hiiro?" Duo asked, his voice hard. They had to be believers now. There was a loud explosion above them. Hiiro opened the sunroof of the SUV and stared up. A man, dressed in black robes accented with red over smart black slacks, and long hair that glimmered like black diamonds, was shooting energy from his palms at the two vehicles. Usagi's barrier was holding.

*He's gorgeous.* Quatre said over the link. Hiiro could almost see him blushing. He couldn't blame him. Although Hiiro had never looked at a man this way in his life, he had to admit, the man was stunning.

"Light and Dark." He whispered to himself. He looked at Usagi. She was staring him down. Had she heard him?

"My hearing is very acute in this form." Usagi said. "We are Light and Dark. Forever intertwined. My complete opposite."

He could certainly see why. He had seen the full visage of the Goddess of Stars. He was the sun about to explode. She was the newborn Moon.

"Nice analogy." Usgai smirked. "Didn't know you were so poetic Hiiro-kun." He noticed the change in suffix, but did not comment.

"Yes, Duo-kun. I can read your mind in this form." Usagi grunted, her resolve was wearing thin, he could see it. "Hiiro tell them to keep driving. In a moment I'll throw him off. Tell them not to stop. And tell Quatre to make sure his mansion is cleared of all inhabitants."

Hiiro nodded. He was not used to taking orders. But he also wasn't used to a man flying above his vehicle shooting balls of energy. He relayed the information, and waited. As he watched, Usagi closed her eyes, and when they opened again, they were shining. Her hands were bright with dark purple energy, and she swiped both her hands down towards the floor of the car, screaming. "Silence Glaive Surprise!"

The energy that traveled up was so powerful that it sliced the hood of the SUV open on it's way up. He watched in pure awe as it took the man above them down easily. When he looked back at Usagi, she was leaning weakly on the seat. Her eyes were again dull grey. "Far Hiiro." She whispered. "We need to go far. Tell no one."

He jumped into the back seat to support her small frame, pulling the walkie to his lips. "Base 323 Quatre." He said evenly to Quatre. Who didn't bother to answer. "As quietly as possible."

...

It was hard for her to stay awake through the trip. She was aware that she lay in the strong arms of Hiiro Yui. Every once in awhile Duo's voice would filter through her fuzzy brain, asking if she was OK. She wanted to thank him for his concern, but could not find her voice. She was just so tired. She clung to consciousness because she wanted to make sure Chaos cold not follow them. The barrier she was using to hid them was weak, but it was holding. She was sure that would be possible if she let herself go to sleep.

"Usagi." He'd said her name again. It make butterflies burst to life in her chest. She struggled with opening her eyes. Hoping she didn't look quite as pathetic as she felt. He was looking down at her. "Can you walk?"

The SUV had stopped. Duo was already out of the car, gathering the things they needed from the back. She gazed at him sleepily when he opened the door. He held out a hand to her with a charming smile.

With strength she pulled from the last of her reserves, she took, it, allowing him to lift her from the confines of the back seat. Her legs were unsteady, but Duo took it in stride, wrapping an arm around her waist. She in turn wrapped an arm around him, gripping his shirt for stability.

"Walk with me babe." He said softly. "We have to get into the shuttle." She looked around. Her vision was still fuzzy, but she realized they were in another shuttle port, like the one they had taken to Quatre's Colony, L4. This one, however, was much more crowded. She couldn't see Hiiro, Quatre, Trowa, or Wufei. They had disappeared into the crowd. She looked up. Duo's eyes were shadowed by the baseball cap he had donned, his hair tucked into the back of his shirt.

She felt him stop, and tug around her shoulders a large black hoodie, lifting the hood over her head, and zipping it up. "Just let me do the talking." He winked.

He walked her through the throngs of people, holding her up with his arm. She was amazed at his strength. She felt like she was nothing more than dead weight. ""You'll have to walk through the gate by yourself, when we get there. Can you do that Usa?"

She nodded. She had to. She didn't know where they were going, but she trusted the men she was with. They knew what they were doing. He transferred over to holding her hand when they got to the gate, watching her with careful, violet eyes as she stood on her own.

She pushed herself to walk forward through the metal detector, to smile at the guard who checked her pockets and scanned her quickly. And then Duo was beside her again. She leaned into him gratefully, and was rewarded with a chuckle that resonated through his chest. "Almost there Usa."

He led her into the shuttle, through the port, and into her, seat, sitting next to her with a soft huff of breath. She leaned on his shoulder, closing her eyes.

"Duo-chan?" He deserved the suffix.

"Hmm?" It was endearing how he looked down on her.

"Where are the others?" Duo smiled, and patted her arm.

"No worries Usa. We'll see them soon." She got the feeling he wasn't keeping the information from her because he didn't want her to know. But because he didn't want anyone else to know. War had done a number on these boys. They had developed a plan and an escape route with five words. Sighing, she breathed deeply. "You should sleep."

There was the light buzz of chatter in the confines of the shuttle. She looked into his eyes, and spoke evenly. "I'm sorry Duo."

"For what babe?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry to all of you. For dragging you into this..." He cut her off.

"You didn't drag us into anything." He looked past her, through the window of the rapidly rising shuttle. "Do you think we'd be spared of this fight without you?"

She turned her vision to where he was looking, out the window at the colony that was rapidly growing smaller. She was amazed at this world, at it's technology. Ami would have had a field day. She looked back upon Duo's face. He was still staring into the space outside. "You might not have been spared." She said. "But you'd have done your world justice without me." Her lips curved in a bitter smile. "Sometimes I'm not sure why they won't just let me die. Seems this planet has always found something, or someone, to protect it."

She sensed he didn't know how to answer, and was bathed in the comfortable silence of their ride from then on.

...

Hiiro broke from the confines of the cockpit of Wing Zero, breathing deep. It had taken some very stealthy maneuvering to free it from the base on L2, without being seen. But as far as he knew there had been no reports of the supposedly destroyed Gundam. All of the Dr.'s had been too proud to destroy their weapons. The machines sent into the sun had merely been shells. Few knew of this. The pilots, of course, the Dr.'s and Noin and Milliardo were the chosen privy to such information. He hoped by the time Fire and Wind found the machine missing he could explain the need to take it.

He jumped from the cockpit to a landing 2 feet below, taking one last look at the machine he knew better than himself, before heading towards the lone vehicle Quatre had stored at this particular base. It was a long drive to Base 323. He had to get going.

As he positioned himself in the driver's seat and prepared to leave, his mind wandered towards Usagi. He tried to wipe the image of her, eyes glued to his, holding the shield for their safety, and could not. He cursed aloud. A distraction. Such a distraction. One that was slowly worming her way into his cold heart. He didn't know what to think. What to do. She was awakening things in him that were unnatural. With a hard set to his lips, Hiiro Yui kept driving.

...

"You still haven't slept." Duo chided her, as he helped her from her seat. It was true. She hadn't really slept. She had closed her eyes, hoping he would not notice, but in truth was too afraid to let her guard down. She was too weak to fight Chaos again. She needed to avoid his presence for now. It had been along time since she'd felt that probing, like eyes on her back, but she was unsure.

"I'll sleep when we get where we're going." Duo chuckled, shaking his head at her stubbornness.

He led her, hand in hand, to a waiting car. She did not know the man who handed Duo the keys, but he bore a great resemblance to Rashid. Duo answered her question before she could ask it. "Rashid's brother, Omar." She had already climbed into the passenger seat of the the four door, black sedan.

"How many magunacs are there?" She asked as Duo climbed into the driver's seat.

He scratched his chin thoughtfully as he started the car. "Never really counted." And they were on their way. She didn't recognize this place, but knew they were on Earth. She had watched the descent to the green planet, so unlike the metal, fabricated colonies. It had brought a wave of nostalgia that renewed her.

This place was sunny and bright, with palm trees lining the streets. Duo only drove for an hour or so before they reached their destination. She was so lost in the scenery that she hadn't realized the car had stopped. They were before a huge beach house, standing alone on the beach. The outside was a light peach in color, framed in light grey.

Duo exited the car and she followed suit, staring up at the large porch that ran one story up, around the entire house. Quatre and Trowa sat there on beach chairs, looking comfortable in shorts and tee's. Duo stepped up beside her and cast his arms out.

"Welcome to one of my favorite bases Usa." He said with a smile. "This, is base 323."

...

"She's finally asleep." Duo ran his hand through his bangs out of habit. Quatre was sitting at the large blond wood table in the kitchen, drinking a cup of tea, and Trowa was busy cooking something that was making his stomach growl.

"I was beginning to think she never would." Quatre said, setting his mug down."I'm glad. What she did back there..." He paused, at a loss for words.

"Made us all believers." Trowa said. And Duo laid his eyes on him. The tall brunette had not turned from his task. "How could we not believe her at this point?"

"Yeah." Duo said. "Even the perfect soldier has jumped on board. I thought it would take him longer than Wufei."

Trowa moved what he was making to six plates, storing three in the fridge for the others, and then setting one in front of the braided pilot, and one in front of the blond. He sat down next to Quatre with his own plate as Duo dug in. Sausage and rice. Seasoned perfectly. Trowa was an amazing cook. Strange skill for a man of war. But Duo appreciated it greatly. He burned everything he touched.

"When do you think Hiiro and Wufei will arrive?" He asked between mouthfulls. Quatre looked at him with a mild frown on his lips, setting down his fork and wiping his mouth before speaking.

"Hiiro should be her within the hour. Wufei's arrival will take a day or two. He stayed behind to make sure we weren't being followed."

Duo set his fork down, he had practically inhaled his plate, and was growing sleepy with the fullness of the meal. "Thanks Trowa." He said as he stood, "I'm gonna catch a nap before perfect soldier shows up."

They both nodded at him, and he winked. As if they wouldn't enjoy the alone time. Did they think him oblivious? The relationship that was budding between the two was more and more evident. He wondered if they kept it secret because they feared approval, or if it was because they couldn't admit it to themselves.

He paused at the door of the room he'd left Usagi in, content when he heard no movement. She had told him before he'd laid her in the soft bed that she couldn't feel Chaos' searching eye anymore. They were hidden. For now. His tendrils could only stretch so far. It didn't stop him however, from wondering when they would have to fight again.

He felt a strong attachment to the girl. Like that of an older brother to a younger sister. He hoped he could protect her. She needed the support more than anyone he'd known. The girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders, literally. It was only a matter of time before he'd have to prove he was up to the job. He curled up on the bed of his designated room in the airy California base, and fell asleep with much on his mind.

...

Hiiro's head hurt. It had been a long time since he'd had anything close to a headache. It was frustrating. It had also been a long time since he had been frustrated. What was this girl doing to him? He'd done nothing but think of her the entire drive. And it had been a long one. He'd landed hours away from base 323.

He was almost there.. The streets were familiar. They had visited this place many times. It was a favorite for all of the pilots, quiet, good for researching, thinking, getting away. And also one of the locations that was untraceable on paper or by computer. He hoped that was enough to thwart their current pursuer. Not that he seemed to bend to normal rules.

He pulled up to the remote beach house in the dark, shutting the lights of the car off and climbing out. His eyes were instantly drawn to the large, wraparound balcony where the petite figure of Usagi stood, staring down at him.

She was wearing a dark red sundress, barefoot, with her hair trailing over her shoulders, blowing in the balmy breeze. For a moment, he just stared. Did she know? Did she know what she did to him? How she made his heart beat? Like it never had before.

With an uncharacteristic sigh, he broke her gaze, and carried himself inside, heading straight to his room and locking the door. He opened his laptop in the dark and began typing. He couldn't focus on her now. He needed to focus on the task at hand. The questions he had surrounding the small warrior would have to wait.

...

She had felt him coming. It was something she didn't understand. Couldn't grasp even as she saw the car pull up. Even as prussian met steel. She wanted to be next to him. To help erase the pain that was in his eyes. She felt this way for all the boys. It was a trait that came naturally to her, the healing of others. Emotional, physical. But with this one...

His pain was so absolute, it was like it called to her. It had been so with Mamoru, so long ago, in the hospital room. But Mamoru had healed over the years. This man would not let anyone close enough to do so. Her soul reveled in the challenge. She longed to see him smile. The thought made her skin tingle. She'd bet his smile would rival Duo's, as charming as it was.

He broke the gaze first, and she was disappointed in some fashion. She stayed where she was, eyes on the horizon. It had turned a lovely purple where the sea met the sky. In another time, this place might have been the location of the perfect vacation. She could see it. Her friends on the beach, laughing, building a sand castle with Chibi-Usa. She winced. That memory stung. Her dear daughter would never exist now. She'd seen the possibility when she and Mamoru had decided they weren't meant for each other, but it stung more now. It was more real now, final.

She sighed at her reflection in a mirrored wind chime that hung on the great balcony. Her eyes were rimmed with black and yellow, bruised from lack of sleep. She wished for clarity. It would be hard for Chaos to find them here. Even at his current power level, he could only stretch himself so far.. but still she was nervous. She wished she knew what to do. They had reached an impasse, running and hiding. The next move belonged to her foe.

She moved to a padded grey lounge chair on the balcony, smoothing out her sundress as she sat down. Quatre had promised to take her shopping soon. In the meantime, she had some clothes he had pulled from his sister's closets, that she was promised were not in use, and nearly brand new, and the small amount of clothes Asiya had bought for her. She had tried to refuse, but he insisted. So kind. She was drawn to all of them like a moth to a flame.

She felt sleep claiming her right there... comfortable in the warm weather and cool breezes. She needed it. If she was going to fight this battle, win this war, it had to be without rings beneath her eyes.

...

He slept, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he dreamed. He dreamed of a beauty with long silver hair and silver eyes, in a billowy white dress, reaching out to him, and though his soul said to run to her, he resisted. She threatened his self control. Threatened to break apart the perfect soldier that he was.

And then she was gone, and before him stood a regal man, dressed in a sharp tux, his eyes midnight blue, his hair the color of empty space. The man smiled, and Hiiro followed his gaze to a small girl, with cotton candy pink hair, tucked behind his leg. She wore a dress that was reminiscent of the goddess in his dreams, white and laced with pearls.

"Hello Hiiro Yui." The man said. And his voice was smooth, resonant. "I am Mamoru."

...

_**Oh my, Mamoru makes his very short appearance. :) Much more in the next chapter. What does the spirit of Usagi's former love have to say? To find out, you'll have to look for the next chapter of Fuseiseki. Ja, .**_


	8. Chapter Eight : Dream A Little Dream

_**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing... But I really really really really wish I did. You can't sue me for wishing! Nyah! ;P**_

**...**

**Fuseiseki : Failure**

**Chapter Eight : Dream a Little Dream of Me**

...

He noticed the small girl out of his peripheral, when the surprise of dreaming at all had gone away. She was hiding behind the man's leg, smiling shyly. "This is him, Otou-san?"

"Hai Chibi." The man said. His eyes were still upon Hiiro. "This is him."

Hiiro was speechless. Was he going insane? Were dreams always this strange?

"This is no dream, Yui-san." Mamoru smiled warmly.

"You are..." The man bowed, regally.

"Mamoru Chiba. Also known as Endymion, and Tuxedo Kamen." He patted the girl next to him fondly on the head, ruffling her hair. "And this, is Chibi-Usa."

The girl smiled, sticking out her tongue at the tall man. Then she turned her bright red eyes on Hiiro, speaking sadly. "Usa-mama hasn't told you about me." She frowned. "It still hurts." She touched the place over her heart. " She hurts a lot."

"Which is why we've come to you, Hiiro Yui." Mamoru continued. "You will be the end to that pain."

Hiiro raised an eyebrow, barely. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You do." Mamoru's voice was steady, sure.

Hiiro looked up as the edge of the plane they stood on cracked, like a piece of glass. Light shone through the darkness.

"You are waking." He didn't seem worried. Hiiro was annoyed by his coolness.

"We'll be back to see you Hiiro-san!" The small girl chirped cheerfully, her red eyes filled with laughter and just a hint of sadness. The contradiction left room for something he did not understand... something he needed to understand.

And then his eyes opened to daylight filtering into his room.

...

Usagi woke to Trowa touching her arm gently. She had fallen asleep in the lounge chair on the balcony, again, and bright sunlight was coming over the horizon. She gasped at the beauty of it. She thought she caught the hint of Trowa smirking.

"Breakfast is ready."

"Arigato Trowa-kun." She stretched her arms before she stood, smoothing out the white shorts and black tank-top she was wearing. She'd been here for two weeks now. The balcony was her favorite place. In this time, she'd grown closer to all the boys. All except for... Hiiro. She furrowed her brow. She hadn't seen much of him at all since his arrival.

She'd even spoken to the chauvinistic Wufei. She smiled lightly. It had been the hardest to get him to open up. He was still skeptical of her, and their current situation. At the very least he had stopped calling her Onna. It was an accomplishment, from what Duo told her. He even called Sally Onna. She didn't know who Sally was, but the way Wufei bristled when he heard her name gave Usagi a fuzzy feeling inside.

She traveled inside through the large bay doors and sat down at the table, smiling warmly at Quatre. "No news?" She asked. The boys had been keeping an ear out for any activity caused by Chaos, or by Tenshu. It had been relatively quiet. Too quiet for her liking. He was planning something.

Duo wandered into the kitchen with a smile, and she followed him with her eyes out of habit. He was with her the most. His cheerful spirit was intoxicating. She smiled cheerily at him as he sat next to her, tipping the chair back and setting his feet upon the table. Quatre rolled his eyes, but didn't comment. If he didn't learn his lesson by hitting his head off the floor, he certainly wouldn't heed the blond pilot's warnings now. "What's for breakfast?" He asked, but when Usgai went to answer she found her voice would not come.

There was a feeling that overcame her. A tugging at her very soul. Duo's voice broke through like a shout from the end of a long tunnel, and her eyes snapped to his. "Usa?"

"He's searching." She said quietly. The whole room had eyes on her. There was an uncomfortable silence, that Quatre broke with a simple question.

"Can he find us?" She shook her head.

"Not now." She raised a shaky hand to her heart. "But he will find a way." She couldn't help looking defeated. Mostly because the only thought that was running through her head was how powerless she felt. More powerless than she'd ever had. Chaos was winning this battle. She'd have to step it up if she wanted to win the war. She looked up at the men who had been her only company for weeks on end. She wanted to win it for them. Because they deserved to be normal. Deserved to be happy. Deserved the end to a battle they'd been fighting their whole lives. Something she, with all her grandeur, was sure she could never attain.

Trowa set down the plates for breakfast with a clang that broke her from her thoughts, and mechanically, she picked up a fork and started to eat. Trowa was an amazing cook, but the food turned to ashes in her mouth. 'Oh Minna.' She whispered in her mind, 'If only I knew what to do.'

...

Chaos pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing out loudly. So annoying, these human shells. Full of fluids and emotions. It had been a long time since he'd felt the need to breathe in. Not since... Dear sweet Galaxia had been his captive. He mourned her with a smooth indifference. A beautiful host she had been. So pliable. His current body was beautiful as well. He was unused to being a man, though his tendencies were masculine. He had taken this boy in the dark, and used the power of Pluto to age him to his liking. His name has been Taiyou. It meant sun. Fitting. He had been easy to take. And was so lost in himself that it was only a few weeks before his pleading voice had disappeared. Galaxia had always been with him, so fiery. He had enjoyed their internal battle. Enjoyed making her submit to him again and again. He was bored.

He sighed again. " Vega, Kione." He said it quietly. Before him appeared two dark twins. One was a gorgeous girl, her skin pale and her hair dark as night with streaks of bright white. Her eyes were lilac, and she wore a lacy black dress that hugged her chest and flared, strings of black lace trailing from the edges and wrapping her frail arms. The boy, Kione was of the same slight frame, same pale skin, with short dark hair that bordered on being dark purple, and eyes of royal purple. He wore a black tank top and baggy black jeans, with a vest decked in metal adornments. They both wore black combat boots. He smirked when they bowed. They were some of his most beautiful creations. Made from pieces of himself. They looked to be about 12 or so in age, but their voices spoke of ages beyond.

"You called master?" Kione's voice was cheerful and bright. He was a child amused by everything he did. Chaos had seen himself the destruction Kione could cause. There had been much bloodshed recently. The boy could smile regally with his hands drenched in blood.

"Is everything in order?" Vega's lip twitched. She was quiet, obedient, and rather moody. He hadn't quite seen her smile yet.

"You are currently the leader of a group of 300 men." She said. Her voice was like a church bell. He allowed himself to enjoy an invisible pat on the back. Such beautiful things, he created. "150 were lost in the takeover of the faction called Tenshu."

"Will you keep the name, Master Chaos?" Kione asked, a grin setting over his handsome features.

Chaos leaned back in his chair, folding his hands. "It amuses me. Perhaps we shall. I would also ask you call me Kuro Taiyou from now on my pets, in company. A human name shall fit my purposes better."

"A well fitting name Master." Vega complimented quietly.

He smiled. It was as beautiful as it was deadly. "Yes, Dark Sun. The complete opposite of the glorious Serenity."

"Have you found her yet, Master?" Kione looked interested. Chaos instantly darkened.

"She hides herself from me, the cunning little brat." He chuckled lightly. "But soon, we will draw her out. She will never be able to hide from me for long. As much as I detest her light... she is my other half. Oh to turn such a power to our side would be the ultimate joy."

"Did you wish us to carry a mission out for you master?" Vega asked, dipping into a curtsy that made her dress billow.

"Yes Sweet Vega. I have quite a chore for the both of you."

...

She sat on the balcony, as she had on almost every day of her stay, and stared into the ocean, hoping for a sign. For anything. It was unspoken, but she knew they did not leave the house because she was too recognizable. She ran a hand through her long silver hair, and sighed. Duo of all people, had mentioned cutting it. He had said so gently. He himself had a peculiar attachment to his hair. She supposed at one point, she had too. But it had been a long time since she'd seen the royal buns in her hair. Perhaps...

She stood and traveled into the house to find the braided goof. She found him sitting on the plush beige couch in the living room, watching some show she didn't understand. He opened an arm to her and she sat close to him, letting him pull her in close. It was a comfort to be near him. He radiated warmth.

He playfully pulled on her hair. "Something on your mind babe?"

She laughed, pulling her hair from his fingers. "Duo." She said it warmly, with love. He was like the brother she'd thought Shingo would grow to be. The person she'd hoped he'd grown to be without her. She tried to push the thought away, but he saw it there, in her eyes. He didn't let it go as she had hoped he would.

"What's wrong?" Would it hurt to tell him? Maybe it would hurt less to let it go.

"I had a family, back on Earth. In my time." She said quietly, the noise of the TV in the background was gone. Duo had shut it off. "Shingo. My little brother, And Okka-san and Otou-san." She sighed. "I never got to say goodbye."

He rubbed her shoulder and allowed her to lean into him, so that she could feel his voice rumbling in his chest when he spoke. "I never knew my real parents. I was on the streets as far back as I can remember. I stole to survive. The leader of the gang of orphans I ran with died young. He was like a brother to me. Solo." He looked pained for a moment. "I named myself Duo to honor him. He'd never be Solo, if we were a Duo, ya know?" Usagi nodded, unsure what to say. "After his death, the rest of the group was taken into a church. I remember a girl quite like you. Blonde, happy. They all got adopted. Except me. But it was alright in the church with Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. When I wanted to grow my hair long, she braided it for me. And they were like my parents. They tried so hard to get me to believe in God. But I told them all I believed in was Shinigami. Because all I'd ever seen was death." She looked up at him, surprised to see the look on his face. It was somber, uncharacteristic of the sunny pilot. "One day a rebel group took over the church as a hideout. It was the very beginning of the wars. To get them to leave, I said I'd steal a mobile suit from Oz. I succeeded, but came back to burning rubble. Sister Helen died in my arms. 45 others died before I arrived. It was the called the Maxwell tragedy. So I took the surname Maxwell to honor them."

"And that's why you started fighting." Usagi said. he nodded. "I'm sorry Duo."

The smile was on his face again. "Don't be. I may not have been able to say goodbye, but I know they're watching me, proud. I know they loved me. I bet your family was the same way. If you asked, I bet Hiiro could find their records for you. He's a master on that laptop of his. Sometimes I think it was his only friend as a child."

"Did you all have hard childhoods?" Usagi asked softly. Duo shook his head, his hair ghosting over her arm as he did so.

"Not my stories to tell Usa." He said seriously. She smiled. "But I doubt it will be long before we all spill our deepest secrets to you. You seem to have that effect on people."

They sat in companionable silence for a moment, until he spoke again. "What made you fight Usa? Forgive me for saying, but you don't seem like the type."

She shrugged. "I guess I didn't think too much of it, at the time." She laughed a bit. "I was young. Only fourteen. I thought the prospect of being a superhero was exciting. I wanted to be like Sailor V."

"The babe from England?" Duo asked. She smiled at him.

"Yeah. Minako." She giggled at a random memory of the Princess of Venus. "We didn't like each-other at first. None of the scouts thought I had the power to lead. And when they found out I was the princess..." She laughed again, and saw him smile warmly at the noise. "Rei was so mad." She grew quiet, awash in memory. When he spoke, she turned to his voice.

"They really loved you." He said softly.

She couldn't help it. The tears came to her eyes without hindrance. "I really loved them." She said. "So many times, they walked into the fire for me. So many times I watched them give their lives for what I believed in. To help me achieve the peace I wanted so badly. In the end I guess we all fought for peace. Fought to be normal again. We fought because no one else could." She sighed. "None of us chose this. To be burdened with our former lives. But we fought... I fought, because I loved life. Because I wanted to protect them. And they followed me to the very end. So there's your answer. Love. I fought for Love."

Duo raised the hand that was over her shoulder to her head, and ruffled her hair. " I don't wonder why they followed you." He said strongly. "The same reason any guy in this house would. Even Hiiro." His smile was something that was so beautiful it broke her heart and mended it all over again. " You are the most unique person I've ever met Usa. Especially in a world like this. Even with all you've seen, and all you've been forced to do... You don't give up. You wholly believe that your hope will save the world. And it brings along with it a force that could propel you anywhere, and take anyone with you. I can honestly say I'm honored to be around it. Honored to be a part of it, And you have my loyalty as you had theirs."

"Promise me." She said it so suddenly that he jumped a bit.

"Anything Usa." He recovered with a cool smile.

"That you won't die for me." She said with tears in her eyes. "Promise that you won't be reckless. That you'll think before you act. Because really and truly Duo. I love you. I love this Earth you brought me to. The world I was dropped in. If you believe in me, if you love me like I love you, loved them. You won't put me through losing you."

"Oh Usa." He wrapped her in his arms then, close to his chest, and the steady beat of his heart helped to stop the tears. "I promise." He said softly in her ear, and through her tears she smiled. Pulling up so she could look at him, she showed him the smile, wiping away the tears with the palm of her hand.

"Duo-chan. I think I'm ready to cut my hair."

...

Hiiro rolled over in his bed again. He had spent hours researching this man Mamoru and the tiny girl called Chibi-Usa. It was said that in Usagi's time, he was her fiance'. It was written in both their obituaries. And he had said himself he was also Endymion and Tuxedo Kamen. It added up. But there was little more information than the fact that he had died in America, whilst becoming a doctor, of unknown and gruesome causes. Just before Usagi and her friends disappeared. Chibi-Usa was more of a mystery. There were some records he had dug up that said she was in third-grade elementary in Juuban, Japan for a year. But then the trail disappeared, and before that, nothing existed.

The girl had called him father, and called Usagi her mother. Puzzling. Usagi hadn't mentioned a daughter. Had she died too? And when had they had her? The record of Chibi-Usa at 8 years old put Usagi at seventeen by the year. Had she had a child so young? His head hurt again. That would have made her eleven. Not impossible, but highly improbable. This was something he'd have to go to her for himself. The answers could not be displayed on his trusty laptop screen. He stared angrily at the far wall of his bedroom.

If he could just sleep, and stop thinking. He'd been doing so a lot to keep her off his mind. When he was awake, he followed any lead he suspected as Chaos. He had to talk to the pilots about the recent information he had found. It seemed Chaos had infiltrated Tenshu. The fact that he had a new army on his hands worried Hiiro in a way. But he reminded himself they were only human. He'd done this before. This WAS what he did.

The news could wait, however. The takeover was messy. The leader they had previously did not surrender easily, and many had died. Chaos would need time to regroup. Hiiro shoved his head into the pillow and pulled the blanket over his head. Just a nap. It was all he needed.

He didn't remember falling asleep. Only realized he was suddenly standing before the hulking figure of Mamoru Chiba once more, Chibi-Usa dancing behind him in a void of light and shadow.

"Hiiro." He said warmly, with a smile. "Welcome back."

...

"You're sure about this Usa?" Duo was paused with the scissors in his hand. "There's just so much..."

"Duo you've asked me that like 20 times." Usagi closed her eyes. "If you don't do it now we'll never get it done." He sighed. And with a wince that she couldn't see, took the first scissor cut. Masses of silver hair fell to the floor, and he continued. When he was finished, he backed away from the chair, and watched as she opened her eyes.

"Usa?" She raised a hand to her hair, and ran her fingers through it. It was just past the small of her back. She hadn't let Duo take too much off, but it was shorter than she'd had it in a very, very long time.

"Let me see it Duo." He tentatively handed her the mirror he had set on the table next to him. They were cutting her hair in the kitchen, so it could be swept up easily. The other boys were out for the day. Wufei training on the beach, Quatre and Trowa food shopping, and Hiiro Gods knew where, so the haircut was to be a surprise. And it wasn't over yet.

She gasped as she surveyed it. He had cut it in long layers, keeping her short, heart shaped bangs in the front, and layering it from there. It was curling more now. Soft waves of silver fell over her shoulders.

"My head feels lighter." She broke the tension with this, and he couldn't help it. He laughed heartily, dropping the scissors to thee floor and grabbing his stomach with the power of it. She laughed with him, and when they were out of breath, she spoke again.

"You're really good at cutting hair Duo." He grinned, and clutched his braid.

"I don't trust anyone with mine. Had to learn to cut it myself." She giggled and stood, reaching out to tug on his long braid. He eeped, and chased her about the room for a moment, before they both fell on the floor in a fit of giggles.

"It's nice to hear you laugh Usa." He said, out of breath. "To see the smile in your eyes."

She grinned. "As it is to see the smile in yours. I'm bound and determined to see you all smile like that. Even Hiiro."

"A tough task you set for yourself." He said. "But I have faith in you. If anyone can pull it off, you can." And he meant it. There was nothing better for his stoic friend than this ray of light. Nothing better for all of them. At the eve of a war that could end the world, she was the ever shining moon. "Are you ready for phase 2?"

She looked at the four boxes of hair dye that sat on the counter and smiled. "Yeah. It's now or never. And I quite like living in now."

...

"Are you a ghost?" Hiiro Yui did not believe in Ghosts. But then again, most of the things he didn't believe in had dropped in on them in the past few weeks, on the heels of a certain steely eyed girl.

Mamoru laughed. Hiiro didn't know if he should be angry or not. The guy was just so...likable. So smooth. He radiated charisma. "Not a ghost. An after image. Technically Chibi-Usa and I don't have souls or bodies any longer. But we still have the will to protect what we love."

"That being?" He already knew the answer. But he wanted to keep Mamoru talking.

"Usagi of course." The love in his voice was so evident that a pang of an unfamiliar emotion struck Hiiro's chest. He couldn't put his finger on it...

"Jealousy." Mamoru said with a smile. "You're feeling jealousy. As any man so close to her would. She is like no other." Hiiro had to agree to that. She was so perfect it was frustrating.

"Can you all read minds?" Mamoru shook his head.

"Usagi is the only one privy to that power. I don't doubt Rei would have developed it, in Crystal Tokyo... but ah, that is another story entirely. I can hear your thoughts because this is your dream. In a dream, everything is broadcast. Your hopes and fears, everything you think of. But I have not come her to analyze you. I have come to ask that you protect the one I love."

"What makes you think I can?" Hiiro asked.

"I know you can." Chibi-Usa was wandering back in their direction. He noticed around her neck hung a gold locket. She had not been wearing it in the previous dream. She wrapped her arms around Mamoru's leg, and he lifted her into his arms with a smile that was filled with the purest love.

"We know you have questions." The girl sounded far beyond her age. He looked into her red eyes as she continued. "Especially about me."

He nodded, unsure how to start. She did not hesitate.

"I was the daughter that would have been borne of Neo King Endymion and Neo Queen Serenity. My full name, is Serenity Usagi the Second." She smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. "My future was destroyed, but my love for my mama has sent me here to you."

She took the locket from around her neck. It hung on a long gold chain. With the smile still on her lips, she dangled it before him, enticing him to reach for it. He did so, and the locket was warm in his hands. It was shaped like a star, pure gold with a bright white crystal set in the middle. He watched in mild awe as it popped open, and from the spinning mechanism under the top, came a soft song.

He looked back up at Mamoru and Chibi-Usa, and they were both smiling, with tears in their eyes. "That is yours now." Mamoru said. And the void began to fade, as if blown away by a wind. "Take good care of it, and her."

When Hiiro opened his eyes he way laying on his bed, in the humid air of his room. He lifted his hand, and with it came the star locket and chain. It was open, but no music played. He understood just a bit more about Usagi. But what this locket was for... Every-time he thought he'd had her figured out, a new mystery appeared.

Carefully, he brought it to his computer desk and set in next to his laptop. Sitting down, he started yet another search on the mystery that was Usagi .

...

**Another chapter finished! Yay! This was a long one. Wanted to end it on a little more of a cliffhanger, but it was getting ridiculously long, so here it ends. The romance will heat up soon! The story will really be moving now, and you will find out what the twins, Vega and Kione have been up to while Chaos was claiming his stake on the earth. Please Review! Ja, .**


	9. Chapter Nine : The Tides of Change

_**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing... But I definitely wouldn't mind it. No... Not at all. Mmmmm. Duo's sexy. :)**_

**...**

_**Fueseiseki : Failure**_

_**Chapter Nine : The Tides of Change**_

**...**

Usagi stood in the shower for a long time. It took awhile, to wash the dye from her long tresses. When the water ran clear, she stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel, drying her hair by running her fingers through it slowly. She finished with a blow drier Duo had given her. His own personal one. He had made her promise not to tell.

For a moment, she stared at her self in the large mirror. Her hair was the black of empty space. It was a hard contrast to her pale skin, and made her steely grey eyes pop in a way she enjoyed. It was different. She was reminded of a tiny Saturn. She smiled at the memory of the small girl, sucking in a breath as it led to the thought of Chibi-Usa. How she missed her littlest ones.

Pushing the memory away, she hung up the towel, and spun, looking at her naked back. The wounds from her transformation were light scars on her shoulder-blades. She had never scarred before. She was almost proud of them. Reaching a hand up to feel the marred skin, she sighed, and carried herself back into the room.

There, she put on a lavender sun dress from one of Quatre's many sisters. 29 he had told her. Minus Iria. His parents were busy folk. She paired this with black sandals, looking at her reflection one last time in the mirror of her dresser before stepping out the door to her room.

As she closed her door, Hiiro's opened. She had thought he was away, but it seemed he had been in his room the whole time. She blushed when he stared at her with his hard Prussian eyes, and could do nothing but lean against her door as he stepped close to her, reaching to touch her newly cut an died hair.

He was so close she could smell him. And the scent made her tingle in delight she couldn't hide. Not like Duo, who smelled of oil and crisp summer air. It was a musky scent, of winter's embrace and pine. So subtle, yet strong. When he breathed out she felt the air on her cheek, and shivered.

"Clever." He said huskily. Goosebumps raised on her skin and her heart beat faster. She was praying he didn't notice.

"It was Duo's idea." She found her voice, but it was shaky. She cursed inwardly. He was still so close. Kami why did this man do this to her?

She was saved by Quatre appearing in the hall, looking rather confused at the closeness of the two. Hiiro stepped back from her with catlike grace. And she had to try hard not to show the disappointment that stung her heart.

"I... wanted to tell Usagi we were planning on going shopping today." He looked back and forth between the two, and settled on Usagi. "Your hair."

She smiled. "Do you like it?" She asked. Pleased with the distraction, and Quatre's avoidance of questions. He nodded.

"It's different. I barely recognize you."

"That was the plan." She touched her hair where Hiiro had, and fought another shiver. At least the goosebumps had gone. "I thought you already went shopping."

"For food, yes." Quatre said. "But we could all use new clothes. We brought the bare minimum in our hurry. And we are running low." His eyes turned to Hiiro. "You'll join us, won't you Hiiro?"

"Hn." The man turned and walked down the hallway, and Quatre called after him. "We leave in half an hour!"

He turned back to Usagi then, and she was pleased to see his warm smile. He asked no questions, just held his arm out for her to take. She took it happily.

"Shall we grab a snack before we leave?" He asked. "Trowa is making cookies."

"Cookies!" She laughed. "I'm totally in."

...

She was in the car with Quatre and Duo. They had taken the Van and the SUV, Since Quatre anticipated coming home with alot of bags. She sat in the back, listening to the songs Duo played on the radio. A metal band he liked. The singer's voice, a male, and the lyrics he sang were wonderful._ ^Until the day I die...I spill my heart for you. Until the day I die... I spill my heart for you... ^ _Duo said it was very old. Something he did in his spare time was dig up old music.

She was watching the people on the streets as they passed by them in the car, when Quatre turned the music down and turned to look at her. "Usagi... I hate to ask..."

"There's nothing going on Quatre." She said with a short laugh. Somehow she knew he couldn't resist. But this didn't satiate him. He looked like he was searching for something to say, when Duo cut in.

"What Quat-man means Usa, is it's the end of the world, right? Why not? Trowa and Quatre are finally getting it on, and believe you me, that tension has been as thick as a knife for years."

Her mouth dropped open, and he raised his hands with a grin. There was a moment when Quatre scrambled for the steering wheel simultaneously glaring and blushing with a force Usagi had never seen, but Duo only laughed and corrected the van. "Duo." She chided, only half surprised. Then she turned to Quatre. "Quatre I..."

He waved a hand, still furiously blushing. "As blunt as Duo is, he's always right, and he never tells a lie. Don't worry Usagi." Duo laughed again, and Usagi was surprised to see Quatre punch his arm. This only served to make the braided pilot laugh harder. When the fit subsided, he wiped the tears from his eyes and spoke.

"Usa. Do you think we're stupid? That we don't see the way you react around him? That we don't see how hard he tries to avoid you? Gods, it's Relena all over again. Except you're not begging him to kill you."

"Huh?" Now Usagi was confused. Quatre glared at Duo, and smiled at Usagi.

"A story for another time." He said. "The point being, if you feel something for him, you should go for it. All of us see how good it would be for both of you. And honestly, I think you might be the only one in the world who could bring Hiiro out of his shell. We've all changed since the Eve Wars. All except for him."

She sighed. Was it that obvious? She really needed to work on the whole hiding her emotions thing. To her relief, they did not press her further, but she figured in this moment, was the best time to ask a question she'd been burdened with since meeting the stoic pilot. "Why aren't there any emotions in his eyes?"

Duo glanced and Quatre, who nodded quickly. "Out of all of us, Usagi." Quatre said. "Hiiro had it the worst. He had no childhood. Was raised only to be a soldier. And, though he won't say it out loud. I don't think he's forgiven himself for his part in the war."

"I got that much." Usagi said softly. The mall was before them. They were pulling into the parking lot now. "Who is... Relena?"

Duo unlocked his seat belt and turned to smile at her. "I'm sure you'll meet her soon. I'm surprised actually that you haven't heard of her yet. You'll like her, I think. But like Quatre said, that's for another time. For now... We go shopping!"

His enthusiasm was contagious, and she for the moment, she logged the information she had gotten away, living in the moment. The world could end tomorrow. Nothing was certain. So she would live for right now.

...

He hated shopping. He hated malls. He hated being around crowds of people. And he still hadn't found anything about the locket that had materialized from his dream. But Quatre had promised him a new gun if he took this trip with him, and he had his eye on a Ruger LCP. Usagi was leading the way, her arm hooked with Duo's and Quatre's as she marveled at all the stores. He tried to keep his eyes off of her, but it was proving more of a task than he could handle.

In fact, he noticed it seemed to be a task no one could handle. The girl drew glances everywhere she went. It was as if there was a beacon she broadcast that just said 'look at me'. The interesting thing was, that she wasn't trying. Her smile drew strangers in with no thought on her part. It made him feel only the slightest bit better.

Why was he thinking of her anyway? He had accepted the mission of protecting her before Mamoru had even asked, and he never failed a mission. But these thoughts... they were beyond that of a protector. He saw the way she looked up at Duo, her eyes glittering, and felt that pang of... what had Mamoru called it? Jealousy. But wasn't it better this way? Duo was good for her. He did not deserve to be the focus of such grace.

Lost in his own thoughts, he was surprised when the center of them was suddenly in front of him. "Hiiro." His name from her lips made his heart beat faster. "Quatre says we should all get bathing suits. Come on!"

Her arm was on his then, and she dragged him into a store that supplied beach clothing and accessories. "Hn." It was barely managed. Her touch made his chest tight.

"Oh come on Hiiro." She smiled at him and he attempted his best glare. It did nothing. She dragged him to a rack of suits, picked three, and then dragged him over to the fitting rooms. "Sit here."

He did as he was told. But did not look happy about it. She only laughed, and spoke to him through the door as she undressed. he tried hard not to watch her sundress hit the floor. "You have to tell me if everything looks alright, ok?"

"Hn." Why wasn't Duo or Quatre doing this? He had a strong feeling they had done this on purpose. He had been so involved in his own thoughts he wasn't even sure where the other pilots were.

If he had been a weaker man, his jaw might have hit the floor when she stepped out in the first suit. He could hear Duo in his head, whistling in appreciation. It was a one piece, cut low in the front and with no sides, in a simple black with large yellow sunflowers in a block print.

"How do I look Hiiro?" She asked. He grunted. For once, really at a loss for words. She smiled, and rushed in to try on another.

He wished his heart would stop beating so fast. The second number was a red two piece, with a skull an crossbones on one side of the top, and one on the.. Oh why wasn't Duo doing this? She was beautiful. He wanted to punch himself. Why was she even trying anything on? She made everything look good.

She posed a few times in the mirror, laughing, before trying on the last suit. It was a one piece shaped like the first, but this one was black with silver zebra stripes.

"Hiiro?" He realized he's been staring, and glared up at her from his seat. She laughed. "I guess this is the one!"

"Hn." **Shoot me now.**

She bought the suit, a gauzy wrap in black, and sunglasses with the card he assumed Quatre had given her, and at her persistence, he too picked out some navy blue trunks with black accents that she insisted brought out his eyes.

Duo had a smile on his face that made Hiiro want to pull a gun on him when they met the rest of the pilots at a smoothie shop. It had been his plan all along. Now he was sure of it. He and the braided baka would be talking later.

The rest of the shopping trip was quiet. And Quatre had taken him to buy his prized Ruger, so he guessed the trip was not wasted. He just wished he could get the smell of her out of nose, the feel of her skin out of his mind. She was slowly driving him insane. And for once, the perfect soldier had no idea what to do about it.

...

Usagi was humming as she put her clothes away, smiling a the memories of the shopping trip. It had been like old times, with the girls. Wufei reminded her of Rei, Trowa of Michiru, and Quatre of Ami. Duo had been flirting in pure Minako fashion, and Hiiro.. well Hiiro was his own. Perhaps it was what drew her to him.

She gasped when her door was flung open, and there he stood, his eyes wild in a way that made her knees weak. When the door closed behind him, and he moved closer to her, all she could do was stand there. And when he flung her to her bed, atop the clothes she had been organizing, she could not breathe.

"Hiiro.." It was a whisper, a question, just managed through force of will.

"You didn't tell me you had a daughter." Her eyes widened. She could feel it.

"How?" It was all she could say. The hurt that welled in her heart at the onslaught of the thought was paralyzing.

"I want to understand." She could feel his voice rumble in his chest. "What it is you do to me."

He looked at her with hard Prussian eyes, and she stared back, lost in his pools of blue, drowning. "Hiiro I..." And then his lips were upon hers. They were rough at first, searching for something. With fervor that seemed to come from nowhere, she fisted her hands in his hair. Understand? She didn't. Didn't know why she needed this so badly. The kisses grew softer, he nibbled lightly at her bottom lip, and she moaned with the intensity of the feelings he induced.

They were both breathing too hard when he broke away, and he floated above her, his forehead to hers. "I just want to see your eyes light up Hiiro." She whispered. Because it was the truth. "You deserve to be happy. Just like everyone else... I don't know what happened to you to make you this way... But stop. Stop blaming yourself. It doesn't hurt to be human."

He shook his head. "No." She couldn't help the sigh of disappointment when he sat up, leaning against her bed post, looking down at her with cold eyes. There had been a spark in them a moment ago. She wanted it back. Wanted to pull him to her again. "I have so much blood on my hands. I don't deserve something so full of light. I can't afford a distraction."

He was looking at his hands, so she sat up, and grasped them in her own. She turned them palm up, and kissed each palm gently, looking up at him when she finished. "We are at an impasse. Because I don't see what you see. And you obviously don't see what I see. But I won't give up on you Hiiro. You would deny yourself having me because you see your hands stained with blood? How do you think I see mine?" She raised them before him.

"I killed my friends with these hands. Lost my daughter. They were not strong enough to save the ones I loved."

"You did what you had..."

"Do not make excuses for me that you will not make for yourself!" Her eyes were wild, she knew it. He looked mildly surprised at the outburst. "We've all killed Hiiro. We've all sacrificed. Maybe you more than I. I don't know. Because you won't let me in! But can you say it wasn't for good reason? It wasn't for the greater good? Stop fucking blaming yourself! Look at me!"

He had been looking down, but his eyes snapped to hers at her insistence. She raised a hand to his cheek. "I don't know if we can win this." She said softly. "Do you want to die saying you never tried?"

He stared at her for a moment, and his hand raised as well, fisting in her hair. And there it was. The spark she wanted back. She sighed as his lips met hers once more in a gentle kiss, and though neither of them knew it, in Hiiro's room atop his desk, the star locket opened, glowing with an ethereal light, and played it's haunting melody once more. In a plane that was far beyond anyone's reach, Mamoru Chiba shed a tear.

...

Usagi awoke to the light of morning. Hiiro lay on her bed with his clothes and his shoes on. They had fallen asleep that way. It had been a comfort just to hold him all night. Clothes still littered the bed, and for a moment she stared at him from her position, lying on his strong chest. She had no idea what they were doing. Only knew it felt right.

She smiled when his eyes opened and laid on hers. They were different now. There was a soft light in them for her that warmed her heart.

"Ohayo." She said softly. She was rewarded with a smirk and then a glare, as if he thought better of the twitch of his lips afterwards. "I will get you to smile Hiiro Yui." She said with a smile, and moved to peck him on the lips.

"We'll see." He said in perfect monotone. And she sighed. He was a hard one to crack. And she'd cracked Puu and Haruka.

She jumped at a knock on the door, and smirked at the glare Hiiro threw at the interruption. Getting up, she opened it to a somber looking Duo. He raised an eyebrow at Hiiro sitting on her bed, and smiled.

"Usa..." He said suggestively. She hit him on the chest, so hard she heard him oomf, and laughed.

"What did you come here for Duo?" She asked. He looked serious again as he remembered.

"You might want to come downstairs and check out the TV." She looked at Hiiro, who nodded, and practically flew down the stairs, trying not to worry to much. She couldn't help hearing the exchange of the two men behind her as she walked towards the living room.

"So Hiiro..."

"Omae O Korosu Baka."

...

Usagi could do nothing but stare. There sat her adversary on a red throne. Mocking her with his mere image. Wufei had filled her in quickly on what she had missed. He was declaring war on the Earth Sphere. He had taken under his wing what was left of the faction called Tenshu, and was offering money and power to all that would join him. "I am Kuro Taiyou. Soon to be ruler of the Earth Sphere."

He was so charismatic when he spoke. It was disheartening. It would not be long before the corrupt and the hopeful would join with him.

"And Serenity?" She gasped as he called out to her. "This is just the beginning. I look forward to your ultimate downfall."

The transmission went dead, switching back to whatever show had been on.

"We need to call Relena." Quatre said quietly.

"Guess you get to meet her sooner than you though Usa." Hiiro glared at Duo, who just laughed. She admired his ease at the situation. And wondered vaugely why Hiiro looked so miffed.

"And the Preventers." Trowa said. "We'll go now." He led Quatre towards the communications room in the back of the house, where Usagi knew there was a vid-phone and other weapons. She'd stumbled in by accident a week ago. Remarkable how close the tech was to her senshi tech. Ami would have loved it.

"I'll call Sally." Wufei said.

Duo smirked. "And I'll call Hilde. Man she's gonna be so pissed." Usagi smiled lightly at this. He'd told her of Hilde. A fiery brunette he owned a scrapyard with. He hadn't called her since their escape from the mansion.

When the frenzy was over, she was alone in the room with Hiiro. He gazed at her for a moment, before speaking.

"Daijoubu?"

"Daijoubu Ka." She said softly. "I trust they have a handle on things."

"They are the best at what they do." He said. She liked his voice. Was glad to hear him speak more. Such an irrational thought at the time. But she clung to it.

"It's really starting now." He looked unsure of what to say. Instead, he took her hand, and she let him lead her. She had no strength to ask questions. Too many were already invading her mind.

"Come with me." He said. And there was something beneath it. Like an echo. It said 'Trust me.' And she did. Goddess she trusted all of them. She had to. It was starting. With the weight of the world on her shoulders, she let him lead on.

...

**_Chapter Nine... Finito. So Usagi and Hiiro have finally admitted their feelings for each-other... kind of. Can Usagi succeed in bringing him out of his shell? Will it matter... with the impending doom floating in the distance? Find out in the next chapter of Fuseiseki. And please... remember to review!_**


	10. Chapter Ten : To Justify The Means

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. If I did, there would be sex, crazy maniacal monkey sex all day long, because come on, who wouldn't want to see those boys and girls naked?**_

**...**

**Fuseseki : Failure**

**Chapter Ten : Justify The Means**

...

"We can explain more once we arrive." Quatre said with an air that was prince-like. His formal speaking was pristine.

"Your disappearance was worrisome." Noin's voice was formal, with a lilt that meant to tease. Quatre smiled.

"I assure you it was necessary."

"And Wing Zero?" Milliardo spoke this time.

"Hiiro is on his way with Miss Usagi to retrieve it as we speak." Quatre had seen Hiiro lead her to the car from the window of the communications room.

"I am eager to speak with her." Milliardo said. Quatre laughed warmly. Milliardo raised an eyebrow, and Quatre raised his hand in apology.

"She is eager to speak with you. Can you get us a shuttle into Sanq? And a tanker for Hilde from L2?" He had spoken to Duo on the way up the stairs. He was currently behind them talking to Hilde on another vid-phone. Apologizing profusely. She didn't seem pleased that he had left her to care for the scrapyard alone for so long.

"It is as good as done." Milliardo said.

"See you in a day Quatre." Said Noin with a smile. And the transmission ended.

Duo was still arguing with Hilde when Quatre turned.

"Babe have you seen the news?" Hilde's face was indignant, she flipped her dark hair angrily.

"Of course I have Duo no baka!" She huffed. "It's no reason for you not to call! I was worried something happened to you!"

"Babe...I'm the great Shinigami! Don't worry so much!"

"Duo!" He smiled easily at her.

"Hilde, just fill the tanker and meet us at Sanq ok? If I heard correctly over your yelling, it should be there soon."

She sighed, pushing her bangs out of her face. Quatre wondered if she had picked that up from Duo. He did it often. "Hai. I'll see you there baka."

Duo turned to Quatre as the screen went blank. "What did you tell them?"

"No more than they needed to know at the moment. We will arrive before Hiiro and Usagi. They've got quite a drive before they reach the holding site for Zero. We will fill them in on what we can securely before Usagi has to deal with them."

The phone in Duo's pocket rang, and he pulled it out, peering at the screen for a moment before opening it.

"Usa?" He asked, after hearing her voice on the other end. She was calling from Hiiro's secure line. A line that was only transmitted through the pilots and Preventer's headquarters.

"We will be." He smiled. "Yes, I will tell them. We'll see you soon babe."

He hung up the phone and looked at the pilots in the room. Trowa and Wufei were sitting at the table in the com room, cleaning random weapons. Quatre still sat at the second vid-phone seat. "Usa says be careful. And that she will see you soon."

"Sure she's okay with Mr. Mono-tone?" Wufei asked. Quatre was mildly surprised he had asked, but smiled and answered.

"I'm sure she'll be fine."

Duo laughed. "Yeah Wu-man. She's in great hands." Wufei twitched, and muttered.

"Duo no baka."

"Have you all picked that up from Hiiro?" Duo asked, genuinely miffed. "No baka, is not my last name."

"Just get ready to go." Trowa said. "The transport will be here soon."

Quatre nodded. "I will gather Usagi's clothes. Pack up what you can. I will send some maguanacs to retrieve the rest later on."

The group nodded, and were all off to their separate tasks.

...

"Where are we going Hiiro?" She asked quietly. They had been on the road for hours. The scenery had changed from sun and palm trees to cliffs along the ocean, and still they drove.

"To get Zero."

She was tired. She hadn't let them know, but she'd been holding up a thin screen around herself and the pilots since the day before, and it was taxing to do so from a distance.

"You should sleep." He was gazing at her sidelong as he drove down the deserted road. She smiled at him and reached out to put a hand on his thigh. His eyes did not change. She lived for the moments when she saw that light. It wasn't always there.

"You should smile." She said casually, and giggled at the glare he sent her way.

"Usagi." He sounded serious.

"I do love it when you say my name." She said, then stuck her tongue out. "I'm alright Hiiro. Nervous. Angry. And anxious. But alright. I couldn't sleep if I tried right now. Besides. I'm enjoying the view."

He looked slightly put off, but didn't say anything. She watched out the window, bathed in companionable silence. Her hand still lay on his thigh, and she tapped the beat of a song she had stuck in her head with her fingers.

She looked at him when he stopped the car, on the side of the road in a small alcove. He got out of the car without a word, and popped open the back of the black SUV, pulling out a bag. "Hiiro?" She questioned.

He came to the passenger side of the car, and opened the door, dropping the bag on her lap with a glint in his eyes she didn't recognize. "Change." He said.

"But I..." She sighed and opened the bag. Inside was a few changes of clothes, her bathing suit, sunglasses, and a pair of sneakers. She smiled. So that was what he had gone back inside for. He had left her in the car for a moment before they had gone on their way. She turned to question him again, but he was gone.

"Change into what?" She said aloud, frustrated at his short command. It was warm outside. They had pulled off the road at the edge of a sandy beach that broke through the cliff side. She could smell the ocean. With a peek to make sure he wasn't looking, she removed her sundress, bra and panties, and put on the suit. When she was tying the gauzy wrap around her waist, and fitting the sunglasses in her hair, he came back around the corner.

For a moment she didn't notice him, he was so quiet. He stood by a large rock, leaning against it, and watching her with that same unrecognizable look. He wore no shirt. She took a moment to appreciate the smooth lines of his chest. All he wore were the swim trunks she had insisted he buy, and a pair of navy blue sandals. He beckoned to her, and with her heart beating too fast, as it always did when she was around him, she followed.

She gasped when she saw what the small alcove opened up to. It was a small beach, lined with colorful flowers and dark green vegetation. The soft swoosh of the waves was in her ears, and a fresh ocean breeze blew her hair. "It's beautiful Hiiro."

...

She was beautiful. His pride wouldn't let him say it. But he hoped she knew. This was all so new to him. All these feelings she gave him. He wasn't sure how to handle any of them. But she seemed to understand that. She didn't push him. Didn't ask hard questions. Just allowed him to bathe in her light.

It was remarkable. He had laid two towels near the waves. She followed him to them and he reveled in her smile as she set herself on one. "Why did we stop here Hiiro?"

He looked at her, and then looked out at the ocean, where it met the blue sky. "You said it yourself." He said quietly.

"Oh did I?" She sounded thoughtful. He looked back at her and saw her brow furrowed with question. She looked gorgeous, sitting there, staring at the ocean. Did he really deserve this?

"I don't want to die without trying." Her eyes snapped to his, and he grunted as she threw herself into his arms. He wrapped them around her instinctively, enjoying the smell of her. Cherry Blossoms and Vanilla.

"Hiiro." She said softly into his chest, and his skin tingled where her breath met it. "I would never ask something of you that you could not do. But I hope one day, you tell me what scarred you so. What made you stop smiling." She looked up at him, her eyes glittering, more silver than grey. " Because I bet your smile is to die for."

"Are you scared?" He asked. And he didn't know where it came from. It was a feeling he knew little about. But when he thought of the upcoming battle... Thought of her having to fight... Maybe that feeling was what fear was.

"I'm always scared." She said simply. "Everytime. Aren't you?"

"I was trained to have no fear." She looked sad. For him?

"I wish I could take away your pain." She said. He raised a hand to her cheek, brushing his fingers over it softly, watching with calm eyes as she leaned into the touch.

"Why me Usagi?" He said huskily. Because he had to know.

She smiled. "Because you need me. Because I need you. Because I don't know what it is... but something tells me to be close to you."

He leaned in slowly, and pressed his lips to hers carefully. He didn't say anything back. Didn't know how to. But he hoped she felt the emotion in his kiss. When he pulled back she whimpered. He smirked unconsciously. He was pretty sure she felt it.

They both stopped when a soft melody came from his pocket. Her eyes lit up in a way he had never seen, and she followed his hand as it reached in, and pulled out the star locket.

"It's playing." She whispered. "Hiiro...where did you get that?"

"In a dream." He said. "I dreamt of Mamoru, and your daughter. She said to protect you. That she loved you. And gave me this."

She grasped in while it was still in his hand, tears filling her eyes. "Daijobu?" He said quietly.

"Hai. Daijobu Ka. Hiiro." She watched the mechanism inside spin and play the lovely tune. "I'm not scared anymore."

...

"This is boring." Kione was tossing a rock back and forth between his two hands, sitting atop a 10 foot concrete barrier in a parking deck.

Vega's eye's scolded him. "Master sent us here. We must carry out the mission."

"Doesn't mean it's not boring." He huffed. He liked excitement. This mission was all cloaks and daggers. "And I hate the clothing." He tugged at the shirt he was wearing, a navy blue tee, and looked forlornly at the worn jeans and sneakers. He missed his combat boots.

Vega was wearing a thin cotton dress in yellow. It was dirty in spots. It made her look less pale than she normally was. It was paired with yellow sandals. He frowned in distaste. "We both look stupid."

"Master says it will be easier this way. Serenity-sama will follow where Master leads. This girl is important." Vega's voice never raised below a whisper it seemed. Kione huffed.

"I know. I know." He jumped off of his perch and landed next to her in a crouch. "Shall we get on with it?"

He took her hand, and they walked towards the mountains of old scrap that was just beyond the parking deck. In front, was a garage. There was the noise of scraping metal from inside. When they turned the corner, they saw a petite girl hunched over the remains of a car. When they entered, she lifted the protective mask she was wearing, and greeted them with a smile. Her hair was so black it was blue, cut short in the back with long spiky bangs in the front. Her eyes were the blue of the sky.

"Can I help you two?" She asked.

Kione smiled. "We're a little lost actually." He said in his best little boy voice. "My sister was chasing a butterfly in the market and we lost our parents when I followed her."

Vega looked just moody enough to pull off being upset. Kione would have complained if not for the moment. He did ALL the work.

The girl smiled again. "Give me just one moment little one, and I'll help you out." Turning away was her mistake. When she did so to set her mask down, Vega raised a hand, blasting her in the back with energy that was black as night. The girl went down easily, with a short cry.

"Too easy." Kione said with a pout, as he stood over her prone form. "Come on let's bring her to the Master."

Vega helped him lift her. "You're sure this is the right one?" She asked.

"Yeah yeah I'm sure." He answered. "Master said she would look just like this, and be right here. This is the one he wants."

"Do you think he will be pleased?" Kione rolled his eyes and bit the comment that threatened to spill from his mouth. His sister's loyalty issues were grinding on his nerves. They were Master's most precious creations. Need they be more?

"Just shut up and teleport us Vega. She's heavy for being so small."

...

Zero was huge. She'd seen glimpses of Sandrock in Quatre's memories, even researched a bit when they had been at the base, eager to learn more of the huge machines, but it had not prepared her for this. The star locket was around her neck. Each time she looked at it love welled up inside her. She could not reach them, but they were still watching her. It gave her a renewed strength.

"We're going to fly in that?"

He nodded, looking up at it with a proud gleam in his eye. "Nervous?"

She smiled. "Hiiro I've flown through the emptiness of space with nothing but angel wings." He smirked at her. Progress. It was a silent win.

He climbed up the Gundam with ease, and threw the two small bags he had packed into a compartment inside the cockpit, and she watched him climb expertly down with interest. He knew this machine like the back of his hand. "Are you ready?"

She tackled the chore of climbing up with more ease than she thought she would. The cockpit was small, but she settled herself behind the seat, as he climbed in and started Zero up. She watched the screens with rapt interest, soaking it in. It was loud when they lifted off the ground, and traveled up through the opening of the surrounding cliffs. That's all this hideout was, high cliffs with metal lining the walls. As they traveled up, she saw the opening was invisible from the air unless you were really looking for it.

She laid her hands on his shoulders as they flew over the clouds, and she had to admit she was exhilarated. She gripped his shoulders without meaning to when a strange feeling came to her. Or rather, a feeling left her. Chaos had stopped searching. Stopped pushing at the walls she had built. Instead of relief though, it was replaced with an unexplainable fear.

"Usagi?" Hiiro questioned.

"Hurry Hiiro." She said over the whine of Zero's controls. "Something is wrong."

...

"What do you mean you can't find her?" Duo screamed. The panic was rising in him. Hilde should have been there to meet with the tanker. Hours ago. The transport for her had been delayed, but he had spoken to her over the vid-phone just yesterday. There was no sign of her. They were standing in the gardens of the Sanq kingdom, a usually quiet and peaceful place. All were present. The pilots, Milliardo, Noin, and Relena. All except Hilde. Hiiro and Usagi were not expected for another hour or so.

They had been there for a day. Quatre had filled a disbelieving Noin and Milliardo in on Usagi's story, and had promised they would be satisfied when she arrived. Relena too, had heard the story, and seemed more apt to accepting it, as fanciful as it was. Duo was not focused on any of this. Didn't care. Just wanted to know where Hilde was.

The man who had given him the information looked scared.

"Duo." Relena sounded apologetic.

"Don't." He spit. "Don't."

Barely knowing what he was doing, he reached into his pocket, dialing her number with the phone that was only supposed to be used for secure lines. It rang. And rang again. Then her voice mail picked up. He pressed end with frustration and immediately dialed another number, this one secure.

"Duo." It was Usagi's voice. As if she had known he needed to hear it.

"Usa. They can't find Hilde."

...

"Usa. They can't find Hilde." His voice was like nothing she'd heard before. It was not the sure tone he used, but panicked.

"Duo-chan, calm yourself." She said as soothingly as possible. It scared her to hear his voice like this. "Are you sure?"

"Usa..." His voice was breaking.

She leaned down to speak to Hiiro. "Can this thing go any faster?"

He grunted. "Hold on."

"We'll be there soon Duo. Please. Don't do anything until we get there."

"I'll try Usa." The phone went dead. She grasped Hiiro's shoulders as tightly as she could, as the speed of Zero grew. They needed to hurry. This bad feeling was growing.

There was a pang in her chest, a tug on her soul. He was searching again. But this time it was different. Leaning on intuition, she opened a channel to the dark, probing energy, closing her eyes. For a moment, everything disappeared. There was no Hiiro, no Zero. Just a plain of pitch black and a charming looking Chaos.

*Delighted to see you Serenity.* He said with a smile that made her shiver in disgust. He was so gorgeous it hurt.

"Wish I could say the same."

*Oh, don't be like that, sweet Princess. I would dare say I'll be seeing much more of you soon.* He laughed. *I've had a hard time tracking you, I must admit. But I've found a way to bring you, to me.*

An image appeared next to him, of a prone brunette. She looked hard at her face, short dark hair, tanned skin, and then turned her eyes back to him, hate filled. He laughed again.

*It seems she's rather important to the group you have assimilated yourself with. I only see a human. They bend...break.* She ground her teeth.

"If you hurt her...you fucking bastard..."

*Such language for a Princess.* He chided. *She will remain alive. For now. Though I cannot promise she will be treated well...unless...*

"What do you want Chaos?" She demanded.

*I do so enjoy our games Serenity.* She felt her fingers digging into her palms. She was glad Hiiro could not turn to see her. *I will bring her to Sanq Kingdom tomorrow at dusk. You will fight one of my... toys. For her life.*

"Why should I trust you?"

*Oh Dear Sweet Serenity.* He smiled wide. "You shouldn't. But if you want her to live. You must try. I tire of our conversation. I will see you tomorrow.*

And the link was split. She opened her eyes to Zero slowing, the bump of it's feet hitting the ground. When Hiiro turned to look at her, she was seething, and she saw her reflection in his eyes. She looked wild.

"Usagi." She tried to focus on his voice. Tried to calm herself, but to no avail.

"He has her Hiiro." She said strongly. She was still grinding her teeth. "Chaos had Hilde." Hiiro looked some semblance of shocked. "Let me out now."

He touched her arm, and nodded, opening the cockpit. He jumped out first, climbing down Zero with ease, and she realized they had landed right in the gardens. 10 feet in front of them was a veranda, where the pilots, and three others sat. She saw Duo's limp form sitting on the steps and instantly the rage flared in her again.

She felt the changes before she could stop them. Her hair lengthened, and turned pure silver. Without looking she could feel the burn of the eight point star on her forehead, knew that her eyes had gone as silver as her hair. For a moment, she stood there, watching Hiiro and the others look up at her. Some in wonder, some in disbelief. Duo had not looked up at all.

Clenching her fists, she jumped.

...

She landed in a crouched position, next to Hiiro. He looked at her with hard eyes, understanding and not, and she managed a small smile for him, brushing his hand as she passed. She only had eyes for Duo right now. She hoped he understood. She ignored the shocked looks of the other occupants on the veranda, of the petite blonde she assumed was Relena, and strode towards the braided pilot, kneeling before him when she reached him.

"Duo-chan." He looked up and stormy violet met the silver of stars, and crashed.

"Usa." He reached for her forehead, but she shooed him away by grabbing his hand in mid-air, clasping it tightly with his own.

"Forgive me Duo." She said evenly, though she didn't feel calm. She raged inside.

"Usa what happened?" He didn't want to ask. She could tell. He just had to.

"Nothing I can't fix." She was confident of that. Chaos had said he was sending a toy. Not himself. Which told her he was still wary of her power. He was testing her. "He's testing the waters. Hilde got in the middle. But I'm going to pull her out."

"If you tell us what's going on, perhaps we might be of some assistance." Her eyes snapped to... Milliardo. His name rang out in her head.

"Milliardo Peacecraft." Had she been focused on more than Duo, she might have given in to the answers this form was providing. Milliardo was Relena's older brother. And Lucretzia Noin, she was his lover. Oh T.M.I. The extent of information that flowed to her was obviously not objective. "You cannot be of assistance in this matter. But know that he will be sending trouble here soon, at dusk tomorrow." Her eyes turned to Quatre and Trowa, standing off to the left, then Wufei. "Gather all you hold dear. It must be obvious that he is not above using them against us." Quatre nodded, and turned immediately with Trowa to do just that.

She turned back to Duo, who was staring at her with large eyes. "Usa, you can't just..."

"Duo trust me." She said softly. "Only I can do this. Everything will be alright."

"Usa." He whispered, and pulled her into a hug. She was still seething on the inside. The power that was rising in her could not be pushed down. She could feel herself shaking. When he let her go, she was at a loss with what to do with herself. She stood, and he stood with her, and she walked with what grace she could manage to where Milliardo, Noin, and Relena stood.

"I apologize for the snapping." She said slowly. Her teeth were grinding. Her shoulder blades ached. She was on the verge of a full transformation. "I am Usagi. Or in this form, I am called Cosmos. I trust Quatre has filled you in."

"As far as he was able." Milliardo said. "I dare say your presence solidifies his story. I was hoping our meeting would be much less stressful. I detest rushing things."

She wanted to smile, but she was too busy trying to push down the spike of power that had built inside her. "Usa." Duo warned. She could feel the cool drip of blood wet her shirt as her wings threatened to unfurl. Chaos wasn't sure of thier location. He had just set a meeting place. She was sure of that. But if she transformed here, with so little control, it would broadcast all of them. Her walls were thin.

"Duo I can't..." She whispered. Relena looked awed. Milliardo and Noin waited with rapt interest. And then Hiiro stepped forward. She watched as he laid his hand on her arm, a tight grip, and then gently touched the star locket that hung around her neck.

It popped open with a click, and began to play, casting out a soft light. It was all she needed. She sighed, and with a smile that was for him and him only, wrapped her arms around his neck. He embraced her back, looking down at her with cold Prussian eyes.

"Daijoubu?" What he didn't say with his eyes he conveyed with the rare tone in his voice. Goddess she needed him.

"Daijoubu Ka." She breathed out, closing her eyes, and felt her hair shorten, felt the change come to her eyes, and the symbol on her brow fade. When she opened them again, she saw the soft waves of black against his green shirt, and sighed. "Arigato."

He nodded, and she pulled from his grasp slowly, reluctantly, trying not to laugh at the glare that was in his eyes. It threatened anyone to say a word about their exchange, promising immediate death.

She turned back to Relena, Milliardo, and Noin, ignoring Wufei's short grunt. "Forgive me." She said with a short curtsy. "My emotions got the better of me. I am very pleased to meet all of you. I also detest rushing things, but I would ask that we go inside. For we have matters to discuss."

They moved all together. Duo on one side of her, Hiiro on the other. She could feel the questions in the air. Of her and Hiiro, of Hilde. Relena looked as if she had been punched in the gut. She had a sinking feeling the girl still harbored feelings for the stoic soldier. She had gathered from Duo and Quatre that at one time, Hiiro and Relena might have been an item. Oh why was she so bad at introductions? She could smack herself.

They followed Relena off the Veranda and into a study with large couches and chairs set close to one another, and rows and rows of books. Relena took a plush beige chair, and Usagi sat on a couch, Hiiro and Duo sitting with her, and Wufei leaning on the arm of a chair next to them.

"Do you ever sit Wufei?" Usagi asked playfully.

"Don't play with me Usagi."

A blonde with her hair in two braids, wearing a tight green beret and a matching uniform chose that moment to stride in. "He called you by name." She smirked. "You must be special."

"Just stubborn." Wufei said haughtily. Usagi laughed.

"You must be Sally." She said with a smile. "I've heard a little about you." Sally nodded warmly.

"All good things I hope. I have also heard a little about you." She sat in the chair Wufei leaned against, and he glared at her. She ignored him. "I saw your display from the Veranda windows. Seems what Winner had to say was true."

"Baka Onna. When has Winner ever lied?" Wufei spit indignantly. Usagi help back the giggle with her hand when Sally gave him a swift kick to his shin and then acted as if she'd done nothing at all.

"Miss Usagi." Relena said. Usagi decided she liked her voice. She spoke with confidence, and an air that belied her age. "Quatre explained our position, and expressed the need to mobilize against Kuro Taiyou. Do you agree?"

Her eyes kept flitting to Hiiro. "I do." Usagi said, deciding silently that she needed to speak with Relena in private later. She hated to have this tension in the air. She'd also have to whittle the details from Hiiro. A grueling task. "But I don't suggest moving forward until much more research has been done. He is formidable. But also patient. He will not mobilize until he is sure he can win. He is in no position to do so at this point."

"He has Hilde Schubecker." Milliardo stated.

"No more than a show." Usagi said. "Chaos, or Kuro, as he now calls himself, is in no position to battle your numbers. He is merely proving that he can still play the game." She tugged gently on Duo's braid, and was relieved to see him smile at her. It did not reach his eyes, but it was a start. "I have dealt with him before. Capturing Hilde was a sneaky trick to get me out in the open. I have no doubt she will be returned tomorrow. "

"Alive?" Noin said it. Though she looked instantly remorseful when she looked at Duo's face. Chaos had promised the return of Hilde. He had not said alive. But she'd be damned to Hell if she was going to let that happen. She let the thought slide. It wuld not happen.

"Alive." Usagi said strongly. " I know you must all be skeptical of me. Surprised even. Or scared. But I can assure you I am here to help, and I have dealt with Chaos before. He enjoys toying with me I think, more than he enjoys winning."

"How did he know you were here?" Usagi looked at Relena.

"Your house and home are safe, Miss Relena." She aid softly. "He merely sought to worry all of you by bringing the fight here. He could not guess at my location right now if he tried. He knew he had the upper-hand, so he called out the meeting place. He will not be here. I know him well enough to know that. He will watch this fight from the sidelines. Testing me is his only goal. I do however suggest that security be doubled."

At that moment, Trowa and Quatre walked in. "Catherine and Rashid are on thier way here." Quatre said firmly. "Are you alright Usagi?"

"I am well Quatre." She said with a smile.

Duo frowned. "Your stained shirt says otherwise."

"Duo." She smiled up at him, patting his leg. "It is naught but a flesh wound. It will heal."

"Do you need to be treated Miss Usagi?" Relena asked. Usagi was touched by the gesture. The girl was kind-hearted and strong-willed, she could see it in her eyes.

"I feel that this matter is of more importance right now." Usagi said. She was surprised at her own voice. It was formal and strong. "I would ask what you, Mr. Peacecraft, and Miss Noin, as well as you Miss Sally, think on this?"

"Sally, please." The blonde said with a smirk. "Anyone that can get Wufei to call her by her real name earns my immediate respect." Wufei glared, but didn't say a word.

Usagi smiled and nodded. " Thank you." She turned her eyes to Relena, who spoke.

"I am prepared to make a speech tonight that calls our soldiers to arms."

"And I am behind whatever it is that my sister chooses." Milliardo said. Noin nodded after him.

"I Thank you all." She said. "I will give you time to mull over things. If it is not too much trouble, I would ask for a shower. I am feeling quite drained."

"As is to be expected." Relena said. "Allow me to escort you to a room we have prepared. Pagan will bring up your things momentarily."

Usagi stood with Relena, first giving Duo a small tug on his braid, and then brushing her hand against Hiiro's before turning to follow her. She had hoped for time alone with the Queen of Sanq. Now was as good as ever.

...

Quatre sat down. "So that, is Usagi." He said with a smile.

"A remarkable young woman." Noin said. "I must say my head hurts from all the information collected in the past day or so. We thought her nothing more than a simple prisoner when we ordered you to rescue her."

"For all intentions she was." Trowa said. "It seems a twist of fate."

"That she was led to us?" Quatre said. "Yes, it does seem that way."

"If that is so, I wish they would stop pulling on our strings." Wufei said. Sally patted his leg. He glared at her half heartedly.

"But hasn't it always been this way?" She said. "Pulled by fates strings. Sort of romantic, don't you think?"

"Onna, only you would think getting fucked with is romantic." He glared whole heartedly when she reach up and slapped him hard on the stomach.

"Enough." Milliardo said, though he looked slightly amused. "Relena will make the announcement to mobilize against Tenshu and Kuro Taiyou tonight. We shall reinstate the production of mobile dolls, and prepare for war. I would ask that you pilots organize some heavier security around Sanq in the meantime. You may disagree, but I am eager to see Usagi fight. The fire in her is admirable."

"She wouldn't stop if we begged her to." Duo said quietly. "By the way Hiiro, where did that locket come from?"

All he received was a sharp glare and a "Hn." He raised his arms in his defense.

"Just don't remember seeing it before..." He looked thoughtful for a moment, but then ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "If you don't mind, I'm going to grab something to eat."

Noin smiled. "By all means, please make yourselves at home. Your rooms are in the same place they've always been. I dare say Miss Relena has been waiting for you to fill them once again. She was very excited to hear you were on your way, though the circumstances are less than perfect."

"And we are happy to see her." Quatre said warmly. "It's been quite a while." His eyes followed Duo as he walked away, somber. He felt for him. He had become so close to Usagi in the past month, and Hilde was so important to him. They were being pitted against each other in a way. He had to let Usagi fight to get her back. He would talk to him later, he decided. Perhaps when they discussed security.

He turned his focus back to the conversation in the room, trying to block the worry from his mind. The light was fading outside. For the first time in a long time, he feared the next day.

...

Usagi stood in the room Relena had brought her to, marveling at the decoration. It was gorgeous, fall colors. Bronzes and Reds and Golds. "Arigatou Miss Relena." She said with a smile. "The room is lovely."

Relena smiled back, but Usagi could see the questions in her eyes. There was a small loveseat and a plush chair at the front of the room, and Usagi gestured to the chair, taking a seat herself. "You have questions." She said. "I have answers."

Relena looked slightly apprehensive, but maintained an air of confidence, and took a seat. "Quatre told me where you came from. What you were." She started. "I think we were all skeptical before you arrived."

"Most people are." Usagi said seriously. "I can't remember so many people ever knowing my story. Ami usually just used her mind-wipe. Or Puu. It was usually too hard to handle. I am impressed by you and your friend's level of understanding."

"I am impressed by your strength." Relena said. "I do not know if I could go through so much and still be standing."

"I think you underestimate yourself." Usagi said with a smirk. "Relena Darlain Peacecraft. Queen of the Earth Sphere at 15. Quite a feat."

Relena blushed mildly. "Are you scared?"

Usagi smiled. "Yes, and No." She brought her hands together over her lap, and leaned towards the Queen casually. "Chaos is nothing I haven't seen before. My worries come with the people he will recruit. Never have so many lives been directly involved. My heart weeps already for the casualties." She sighed. "I will do my best to protect this world. I've fallen in love with it in such a short time. And it's inhabitants."

She heard Relena breathe in sharply, and turned her gaze to her. "You, and Hiiro..."

"I cannot pretend to know what went on with him in the past." Usagi said softly.

"I loved him once." Relena said boldly. "And maybe I still do. But I cannot pretend, no matter how much I'd like to, that I was what he needed. I sincerely hope you are."

"Wise and full of unending truths. I was right when I told Duo this world usually finds a way to defend itself. I hope I can add to that strength."

There was a moment of silence, and Relena whispered to break it, as if afraid. "When I asked if you were scared... Do you think, you can save Hilde?"

Usagi looked every bit the part of a warrior at that moment. The set in her shoulders was straighter, the look in her eye hard. It came natural now. More natural than it had before Chaos. She wondered vaguely what her senshi would think of her now. "I don't make promises often." She said slowly, carefully, with force so Relena would understand. "Because fate so little lets me keep them. But I will save Hilde. Because I can't stand Duo with a smile that does not reach his eyes."

Relena smiled warmly, as a knock came to the door. She rose and opened it to a portly older gentleman, who bowed and offered her Usagi's small bag. "There is more to be transferred to this room." He said formally. "Master Quatre requests that when you are finished you meet them for dinner."

He left, and when the door clicked behind him Usagi spoke. "My, Quatre makes himself at home doesn't he?"

Relena laughed a bit. "He has been here many times. I don't mind when he takes a little initiative. I tire of the formality."

"I think I know the feeling." Usagi said. She stood to take the bag from Relena's arms and smiled openly. "Relena. I very much enjoyed our conversation. I do hope that we can be friends."

"I would very much like that." Relena said softly. "The pilots have all taken quite a liking to you. Not an easy task."

Usagi laughed. "As Wufei said, I am quite stubborn when need be." She turned then to set her bag where she had been sitting, and Jumped at Relena's gasp.

"Miss Usagi...your back!" She had nearly forgotten about it.

"Just Usagi, if you please." She said. "You should not worry so. May I show you something?" Relena nodded.

Usagi removed the shirt she was wearing with her back turned to Relena. Beneath the crusted blood, were healed scars, and nothing more. She had felt it. Her healing was accelerating. When she turned back, Relena looked awed.

"But.."

"My healing time is faster than those of normal humans." Usagi explained. "Flesh wounds take minutes. They must be very deep to give me trouble. So as I said, do not worry too much Miss Relena."

"Just Relena, if you please." The dusky blonde said with a smile. "I shall leave you to shower Usagi. See you at dinner?"

"For sure." Usagi said, and watched with soft eyes as Relena let herself out. That had gone better than she hoped. She couldn't get this nagging feeling out of her mind however, that she knew Relena from somewhere. She shook it off.

Shedding the rest of her clothes, she carried herself to the beautiful bathroom that was attached to her room. "A girl could get used to this." She joked aloud as she turned on the water. She tried to ignore the pit in her stomach at the coming threat. It would do no good to dwell on the end, only the means.

...

**And another chapter bites the dust. Hope you enjoyed the tenth installment of Fuseiseki, Failure. The chapters just keep getting longer. I have a hard time cutting them off. Usagi has finally met Relena, Noin, Sally, and Milliardo. Will she save Hilde? Or will Duo's love be the first casualty of Chaos' war on Serenity? Find out next time. **


	11. Chapter Eleven : The Way To War

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing. But Oh the naughty things I would do if I did...The naughty, naughty things... :)**_

...

**Fuseiseki : Failure**

**Chapter Eleven : The Way to War**

**...**

"So everything is in order then." Quatre said. It was normal for him to take the lead in conversation. His comrades were less than eager to do so. Usually Duo was right up there with him, but the situation had made him somber.

Trowa stood, and Quatre gave him a look he knew he would understand. It said to leave. Wufei was already doing so, as was Hiiro. They had tasks to complete before night touched the sky. It was around 6pm. Dinner would start soon. But he had to talk to Duo.

When the others had left, he spoke. "Duo."

Duo looked up with eyes that were filled with clashing emotions, like a storm about to break. "Quatre. Why does it have to be them?"

Quatre felt a pang in his chest at his braided comrades pain. "I wish I knew. I wonder sometimes why fate has to be so cruel. To take the ones you love and throw them into the fire. Especially when a pride like ours says it is our job. Forever the protectors."

"I don't like things I can't control." Duo said through gritted teeth. Quatre sighed. Neither did he. How to handle this one?

"You have to trust Usagi." He said simply. Though he knew it wasn't enough.

"I don't want to see her hurt." Duo said. It was as broken of a voice as Quatre had heard since the Eve Wars.

"She doesn't want to see you hurt. And you must know. This is a little out of our league. We will have our chance to fight along side her soon. I feel it. You must leave this battle to her. We will help her win the war."

Duo nodded, and though Quatre wasn't totally convinced it was all right, would it ever be all right? He let his friend get up and leave the room. In the silence he sighed with eyes threatening to tear. Fate was so unfair.

...

"Hiiro." He heard her voice before he saw her. He had been so focused on his destination that he had not seen her in the Hallway.

"Relena." He said. His voice had no infliction, no warmth. He did not mean for it to sound so cold, and was sorry when she winced.

"It's nice to see you again Hiiro." She said with a smile. He had thought she would be angry with him. He had forgotten how forgiving she was. How understanding, even as he had pushed her away so many times. There was a point, where he thought he could love her. He had found too soon that were not compatible. It had been another thing to chalk up to his roster of personal failures. She had tried so hard to love him.

"Hn." He had no words to say. Did not know what would soothe the balm of seeing him so close to Usagi.

"Usagi is very nice." She said then, and he caught the hint of bitterness, mixed with an air of understanding. She was amazing too, this girl. There was no doubt why he had been attracted to her in the first place. She bowed, and went to leave after a moment of his silence, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Relena." He grunted because it was hard, saying what he needed to say. But this was the time, if ever. Tomorrow was uncertain. "I will always be here to protect you."

She nodded with a smile, and tears in her eyes that he wanted to understand, but could not grasp. "Thank you Hiiro. It means alot."

And then she turned and walked away. He watched her steps, sure and true, and then turned in the other direction, headed to Usagi's room.

...

He didn't knock, just let himself in, and when he heard the shower running, sat on the balcony of her room to wait. The garden was being mended outside where Zero had landed. He had moved it to it's proper place before meeting with his comrades.

When the water shut off, he waited, smirking at her gasp as she stepped into the room in only a towel. "Hiiro." She smiled. "You startled me."

He walked to her with quick steps, grabbing her arms and pushing her to the far wall of the room, trapping her beneath him. "Hiiro." She breathed, unsure of what to say. He saw it in her eyes.

"You will not fight tomorrow." There. He had said it. What he had been thinking since they landed in Sanq. He could not lose this ray of sunshine he'd had a taste of. Could not bear it, though the words would not come.

Her eyes grew guarded. "You would let Hilde die?" She asked.

"I would fight in your stead." He replied. It was icy, to match her sudden mood, the sudden look in her deep grey eyes.

"Hiiro." She freed her arms from his hand, and reeled back, slapping him hard on the face. He felt his eyes blaze, and looked down into hers, silver all of a sudden. He had expected her to agree. Expected her to thank him. "I am terrified." She whispered. "That I will fail. That this world will die. But it will not stop me." He raised his hand to his cheek. It stung. "And I would expect you to have faith in me."

She raised her hand tentatively to the spot she had slapped him, her eyes apologetic. "Gomen Nasai Hiiro." She said quietly. "You cannot fight this battle for me."

He leaned down, his eyes still blazing, and his lips demanded hers. She responded with a fire that was so white hot it was cold. When he pulled away, he whispered. "You have to come back to me."

She nodded, and put her forehead to his, as a slow smile took over her face. "Can I put my clothes on now?"

He raised an eyebrow, and with a smirk on his face that made her melt said. "No."

"Hiiro!" She whined and laughed at the same time.

He kissed her again, once, softly. "I'll see you at Dinner." And then he slowly walked out the door, closing it softly behind him.

...

She was terrified. No matter how hard she tried not to be, the fear was rising in her throat like bile. She kept her blue eyes hard though. She hadn't learned nothing in her years of war. She didn't want them to know she was afraid.

"Such pretty eyes." It was the slightly taller twin, the one who called himself Kione. "Do you see how she tries to hide her fear from us?" He smiled, and she gasped.

"You haven't told me what you want." She said, trying to keep the shaking of her body from her voice. She hurt all over. These...things, for they were not children, had been poking and prodding at her since she had woken, taunting her.

"Nothing from you." The girl, who she knew was named Vega from her brother calling it out, was so quiet she strained to hear her. Her mouth barely moved. "Master wants Serenity."

"Shut up Vega." Kione spit with a smile. It was uncanny how much he was like Duo, except Duo was kind-hearted. This thing had no heart at all. "She'll be dead soon, there's no need to talk to her."

Vega glared at him with cool lavender eyes. "You were." Kione stuck his tongue out at her. Had she gone mad? Who were they? Who was Serenity?

"I don't know anyone named Serenity." There was a sharp slap across her face. She could taste the blood in her mouth. Kione was smiling, and he licked the blood off of his hand.

"Shut up!" He said, and he was still smiling. "Just sit there and wait to die. I tire of your voice."

Hilde curled into a ball and stayed quiet, praying someone was coming for her. "Oh Duo." She whispered to herself. "Please..."

...

Dinner was tense. The air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Halfway through, when no-one had spoken a word, she sighed.

"Someone please say something."

Quatre and Wufei opened thier mouths at the same time. "We don't want you to fight." They exchanged an exasperated look at their echoing statements, but did not comment.

Serenity smiled, but Hiiro answered for her. "Tried that." All eyes turned to him for a moment. He returned the attention with a grunt.

"You can't stop me." Usagi said strongly. "I suggest you don't try." She peered at Noin and Milliardo, and then Relena. "Any of you."

She set her fork down. "I know enough from my Cosmos form to know that each of you is a self-sacrificing baka. Commendable, but stupid." She looked like she instantly regretted being so harsh with her words.

"Isn't that what you're doing?" Duo asked. "For someone one you don't know?"

She frowned. "Don't be this way Duo." She said. "Please. Don't make this harder for me. And don't make it harder on Hilde." She looked pained to scold him this way, but continued. "He wants me. He could care less about humans. Not that you aren't valuable to me. But if any one shows up besides me there will be trouble. Be my aces in the hole. Help me win the war."

Duo reached out and patted her head, giving her the best smile he could manage. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Trust me." She said, looking at him, and then the whole table. "Please." She pushed her chair back, and stood. "I have some things to take care of. If you will excuse me."

She didn't mean to seem cold. Didn't mean to push them away, make them worry. She just wanted to protect them. She traveled out to the garden, and under the light of the full moon, raced through katas she'd pulled from her memories in Cosmos' form. Years ago, by her count, thousands by theirs, Makoto had patiently taken her through them.

She closed her eyes and focused on the lightning Senshi's face as she moved fluidly through the moves, her black spandex shorts and white tank top perfect for each movement. She repeated them over and over for 45 minutes, searching for the well of power inside her. It was a glowing ball of bright silver, something she could just see. It took a hard push to reach it, but it was there. It comforted her some to be able to access it.

It was nowhere near as powerful as it was with the Ginshinzou, but it seemed to be growing slowly. Perhaps she didn't need the crystal after all. She froze at the sound of footsteps behind her, light and soft.

"You are hard to sneak up on."

"Wufei." She said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Onna." He warned, and she laughed. Her tone of voice had been slightly mocking. "Your kata is beautiful."

"Makoto's kata." Usagi said, her smile slipping. "Senshi of Lightning and wood. She always pushed me to practice with her. I hated it then, but now I miss it more than anything. Rei showed me some things as well. Though she was less of a patient teacher."

"She looks like Merian." Usagi froze, turning eyes to him that were more silver than grey. Her hold on Usagi was slipping. She wasn't sure if it made her relieved or not. She feared losing herself to Cosmos.

"Wufei..."

"I had a dream last night." He said, and her eyes did not move from his. "Two women came to me. One called herself the Senshi of Jupiter, the other, The Senshi of Mars."

He stepped closer to her, and she held her breath, waiting. "They told me they could not reach you. But expressed that their love and loyalty transcended having souls. Their pure will drew them to me so I could tell you that they love and miss you. They forgive you. They believe in you."

She looked up at him then, will tears in her eyes. "I miss them."

"Onna..." He growled. The tears looked like they made him uncomfortable. "Usagi. Every day I fight with one person on my mind. When I was young, I was betrothed. Her name was Merian. She was strong, smart, and insufferable. And I loved her. The war took her away from me."

Usagi held her hands close to her heart, and stepped closer to the Chinese pilot, so that she looked up at him, and he down on her. "I'm sure she's proud of you."

"I can only hope as proud as your friends are of you." He said, and reached out, putting a hand on her shoulder, and gripping it hard. "Fight well Usagi, in their memory. And come back."

She raised one hand to set it atop his, nodding so hard that the tears escaped her eyes. "Hai Wufei." She whsipered. "Arigatou."

He turned and walked away then, the moment gone, and she watched him walk away with eyes that were pure silver, pupil-less and cold. She would fight for them. She always had. For them, and for the boys she had grown to care for in such a short time.

She feared it now not because she feared death, but she feared a change that would make her something else. Cosmos was not Usagi. She was a being beyond worlds, beyond time. She could not stay when the war was over. If indeed it did end. With these people she had grown to love... With Hiiro.

With her mind heavy with too many questions, and her heart heavy with the loss of her comrades and the fear for the safety of her new friends, she returned to her room. She sat on the balcony in the warm air, the moon shining above her, and prayed.

"It's been a long time since I've called out to you...Mama." She whispered. "Please. Give me the strength to see me through this." She clutched at the locket she had picked up from stop her dresser, running her fingers over the gem on top, and sighed.

...

He laid in bed for a long time, staring up at the ceiling. Morning had come and gone. Quatre had knocked softly on his door around 8, calling him for breakfast, but had left when he did not answer.

"Hilde." He whispered. "Please be okay." He felt helpless. There was never a situation he couldn't handle. But he didn't know this enemy like Usagi did. He knew that. It didn't stop it from being frustrating. He didn't even know he had drifted back to sleep until the dream started.

"Duo Maxwell." It was dark. Two shadows stood farther than he could reach, watching him. All he could see was their eyes. Dark purple, and sky blue.

"Who are you?" He was on edge. What a strange dream. He'd never seen one like this before. Usually it was him in his underwear. There was a giggle in the darkness, prominently female.

And then they stepped forward. "Whoa." Two girls stood before him, and he recognized them from the stories he had read. Sailor Venus, and Sailor Saturn.

"So you recognize us." Venus said, smiling. "That makes things easier. Rei said she had a hard time convincing Wufei Chang."

"What's going on?" Duo asked, confused.

"We cannot reach Usagi." Saturn said softly. "Her fear of losing herself to Cosmos keeps us away from her. She can't forgive herself for what she had to do."

"So you came to me? For what?"

"To tell you to keep believing." Venus said. "To thank you for bringing the smile to her face again."

"And to give you a weapon to aid your battle." His eyebrow raised, as Saturn and Venus raised their arms together. Between their hands, purple and orange light swirled together, and formed a key. It was silver, with two crystals, one orange and one purple. Saturn caught it, and trailing her fingers over it, formed a silver chain.

She threw it, and he caught it in a quick motion, looking at it in his palm as Saturn spoke. "You will know how to use it when the time comes." She said.

"So Wu-man got one of these too?" He asked. Venus nodded.

"When we are done you will all have the aid you need to help Usagi. Those we have chosen to be her knights in our stead."

"So it wasn't a coincidence." He whispered.

Saturn shook her head with a smile. "Nothing is."

"I'm starting to see that. Never though I'd be under the thumb of fate."

Venus smiled. "Believe Duo, and fate will treat you well." She said. "Someone as cute as you should never give up." She winked, and Saturn rolled her eyes.

"Shinigami smiles on you, Duo Maxwell." And they were fading from his sight again. "Good luck, and safe travels."

He opened his eyes to his celing, and brought the key up close to his face, the cool chain dangling against his bare chest. "Huh." He whispered. "Didn't think Shinigami was the smiling type."

...

"I'm not hungry." She said for the umpteenth time. Quatre had been trying to get her to eat since 8am. It was 5pm now, and she was sitting on the Veranda, staring out at the gardens. He was coming soon. No...Not him, something else. She could feel it when she focused, a blip on her radar. And the still beating heart of Hilde Shubecker. She was still alive, for now.

"Usagi you really should eat." Quatre was holding a plate of something that smelled amazing, and made her nauseous at the same time.

"Quatre." She said softly, turning pleading eyes to him. They had been silver all day, and gave no inclination of changing back. Her pupils at least had stayed put. "Please." She changed the subject in an obvious effort to get him to stop. "Has Catherine arrived yet?"

"She'll be here soon, with safe transport, as well as Rashid." He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, brushing his bangs from his eyes. "Usagi are you sure everything is alright?"

"No." She said softly, looking him in the eye, and then turning away just as quickly. She hated how he could read her. "It's not alright. But that doesn't change anything."

He reached for her hand over the table, and she intertwined her fingers with his, smiling at the touch. He was sending her a current of his energy, warm and full of well wishes. "Arigatou. Quat-chan." She whispered.

He smiled. They stayed that way, staring out into the gardens, watching the sun sink knowing the threat was coming ever closer.

...

_**Next Chapter... things get bloody. But for who? Can Usagi save Hilde? To find out you'll have to stay tuned to Fuseiseki. Don't forget to review! Chapters come out faster when I have some encouragement. :)**_


	12. Chapter Twelve : The Bleeding Heart

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor moon or Gundam Wing...I do not own Sailor moon or Gundam Wing...I do not own Sailor moon or Gundam Wing...I do not own Sailor moon or Gundam Wing... And I promise not to give boys wedgies. There. **_

...

**Fuseiseki : Failure**

**Chapter Twelve : The Bleeding Heart**

**...**

They all stood on the Veranda, at the front of the house together, waiting. Usagi's eyes were narrowed. "Soon." She whispered. Hiiro had his arms around her shoulders, and she shivered, though she was not cold. Duo held her hand, fingers intertwined, as they had so many times before. Quatre was next to him, with Trowa standing behind him, and Wufei was on her other side. His Katana made a soft clicking noise as he pulled it and inch from it's sheath, and let it fall back in, over and over again, like a clock ticking.

"Wufei." Sally was standing behind him in the fading light. "Enough." It was quiet. She could feel how tense they all were. No one really wanted to speak. Relena stood behind them all, with Noin and Milliardo. Her breath was heavy. Usagi could hear it.

And then the sky opened up. She stood up straight and squeezed Duo's hand, turning to look at all of them as she stepped away from Hiiro. His hand went immediately to the gun he constantly had hidden in his jeans. She hadn't noticed before, but they all had one, save Relena. "Do not interfere." She said stoicly, and felt the blaze of her eight pointed star appear, knew her pupils had faded to pure silver. Her hair trailed to the ground, and dragged in soft waves behind her as she stepped backwards, towards the rift in the sky.

"SSsserenity..." She turned away from her friends as four figures drifted down. The first was a being that was neither snake nor man. His bottom half was a tail, the upper half human like, but with slits for nostrils and narrowed orange eyes. He was covered in green and brown scales all over, and his hands ended in menacing claws. She could hear Relena gasp, and blocked her out, blocked all of them out.

The second figure looked like a child, with long black hair and eyes of royal purple. He was carrying Hilde, who had her hands tied behind her back, her eyes wild. She was beaten badly. Blood oozed from her lip, her face was bruised. Usagi clenched her fist. The third being was a small girl, who shadowed the boy in many ways, though her hair was black and her eyes lighter than his. She could feel the power building in her veins, bursting at the seams merely at the feeling these three gave her, and the terrified look in Hilde's eyes.

She let it go, The rage that had built inside her, and fell in on her self as her wings burst from her back with a spray of dark blood. She felt her simple sundress change to the fuku of the Goddess of stars, and her hair wound itself into the heart shaped buns she could no longer bear to fix herself. When she stood fully erect again, she strode forward.

She was not scared. She had no fear. She was not Usagi. She was Cosmos. The Goddess of Stars. "Identify yourself." She spit.

"Sssaron..at your sservice..." The being hissed, and he hit the ground with a thump that shook the earth beneath her feet. He was huge. More than eight feet tall. She turned her eyes to the small boy, who smiled wide but stayed quiet, and then on Hilde.

Behind her, she heard the footfalls of Duo. Could hear the screaming in his head. With one hand, she pointed towards him without looking at him, whispering. "Silent Wall." An instant barrier of light purple energy raised it self up, and he was forced to stop before it. "Stay." She warned, her voice void of emotion. She did not look spare him a glance even then. Her eyes were on her enemies.

Holding the barrier with her mind, she moved closer to the small gang, her tones dulcid as she spoke. "Give Hilde back." She demanded. The boy laughed, wrenching Hilde to her feet. The cry she let out stung her core.

"Now, Now." The boy said. "That would ruin all the fun." His eyebrow raised, and she could see Ssauron ready his attack.

"You want to play?" She spit, the anger growing in her chest at the childishness of it all. "Let's play." Moving her hands into position, she let loose a flaming arrow with the cry, "Mars Flame Sniper!" Saron batted it away with a sharp toothed smile.

"You underesssstimate me." He hissed, and she ducked as his tail stretched, flying at her head. When it had passed, she leapt up, using her wings to angle back towards him at high speed, and sending a kick right to his temple. He recoiled, clutching at the wound as she landed.

"You underestimate me." She dodged again as he swiped, too slow, and winced as his claws dug into her shoulder. She spun away without pause, her breathing light as she stared her opponent down.

He laughed. It was a slow hiss separated by pauses of breath. Her eyes narrowed. "All it takesss it a touch... " He said. "Can you feel the poison running through your veins yet?"

She winced as her arm pulsed, her veins surrounding the four deep scratches feeling as if they were on fire. She did not let him see her falter. "You think poison can stop me?" She asked, her voice even.

"Maybe not immediately." He spit back. "Slowly it will kill you. Ever so slowly. And when you writhe on the ground, I will devour your pretty little form." He licked the end of his long claw, soaked in her blood. "Deliciousss..."

She stood up straight, ignoring the burning sensation that was traveling down her arm, and raised her arms to the sky. "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" Electricity crackled in the air, as the leaves pulled themselves of the branches of the trees around them, and they swirled about her in a massive tornado. With one graceful finger, she pointed at the beast, and he was instantly barraged with electrified, razor sharp leaves.

She watched him try to shield himself, to no avail. Blood that was dark green and black spattered the ground around him. When the debris had cleared, he was still standing, though cuts laced every bit of his serpentine body. "Kuso." She took a deep breath and cursed under it. Her arm refused to stop bleeding, and was hanging limply at her side. She stood tall regardless, shaking her wings out with a snap, and watching Chaos' creation with calculating eyes.

Usually she finished off such enemies with one of her own attacks, but as Cosmos, those attacks threatened to destroy the entire area she was in. She turned a quick eye to the group of people who stood just beyond her silence wall. Hiiro's eyes were blazing. Duo's still resembled a coming storm. She could see the tense muscles in Trowa and Wufei's arms. And Quatre... he was repeating something, over and over again. She read his lips. 'Please stop.'

She sighed. **Stop?** She turned narrowed eyes back to her enemy, who was standing, although shakily. **She had just started. **Her eyes moved to the small children, who stood, watching, a writhing Hilde at their feet. She had fallen again. Would she have to fight them too? He seemed to be content observing. She could tell he was no ordinary child. He was empty, devoid of a host soul. Chaos' creations were getting more advanced. They usually didn't look so human.

She leapt up when Saron lunged at her, using her wings to keep her in the air as he cried out in frustration. "Ssstay ssstill and die!"

She smirked, and raised her good arm, screaming as a ball of yellow energy formed at her fingertips. "Uranus World Shaking!" It did exactly what it implied, shaking the ground as it smashed into the serpentine beast, and effectively, he burst into dark smoke, his last hiss echoing into the now dark night.

She landed to complete silence, and turned her vision to the quiet girl, the smirking boy, and the panicked looking Hilde.

"Well done, Serenity." The boy said, and clapped mockingly. "I had honestly expected less." Everything about him was smug.

"Sorry to disappoint." She said. "I don't think I caught your name, little one." The boy smiled wide, and she shivered despite herself. There was no joy, behind the broad smile.

"Kione." He said with a prince-like air.

"Fitting. From Nowhere." The boy made no move to come at her. She had a moment to wonder at his intentions, at his presence, before Kione raised his hand. In it formed a blade of pure black, energy crackling around it. She could feel the fear in Hilde's heart. The fear in her own, deep beneath the cold exterior of Cosmos.

"Chaos promised her life." She said it as if it was a command. The dark being hadn't, really, but the lie was worth a shot. The boy laughed, and it chilled her heart. He was pure evil incarnate, a tiny devil.

"I didn't." He said sweetly, and plunged the blade down towards Hilde's chest.

...

Nobody knew what to say. There hadn't been a word passed since the fight had begun. Usagi was strong. They could hear little of what was going on beyond the barrier that she had created. She was injured, but she had defeated the monster set before her.

Duo watched with bated breath as she approached the kid who was holding Hilde captive. He could not cry out as he manifested the blade in his hands, could not move as it lunged towards Hilde, and dropped to his knees when the spray of blood filled the air.

His fingers twisted in the dirt and grass of the ground beneath him. She had been so fast he couldn't see. Usagi stood in Hilde's stead, her wings spread to protect the girl she didn't even know, and the black, crackling blade protruded from her chest.

He screamed then, for all he was worth, heard Hiiro fire off useless shots with his gun. Nothing went through the barrier. He heard Quatre cry out, even Relena and Noin. Wufei, Trowa and Millardo were stony and silent with rage and disbelief.

"Oh Gods." He whispered, when his voice had gone hoarse. "Usa..."

...

It was a split second decision that she wasn't even sure would work. Chaos held Pluto's starseed, but she had already proven that the sailor's powers came to her naturally, and so she raised two hands, and called out the most forbidden attack there was beyond Saturn's Ultimate.

"Time Stop!" The words meant death, to Sailor Pluto. But Chronos was not Usagi's father, and the rules did not apply. She had made no promise to the God of time. The effect was instantaneous. Everything froze. She ran then, tucking her wings to her sides. She had no idea how long she could hold the attack. Already the blade was inching towards Hilde, faster and faster.

The poison running through her veins burned like fire, made her vision blurry. She was losing grip. **Just one more second. **She pleaded to anyone that could hear, and then her chest blossomed with dark red, her wings snapped open, and she stared into the laughing eyes of Chaos' creation.

"Ugh..." She breathed out, choked on the blood that filled her mouth suddenly, but smirked at the boy who was more confused than triumphant.

*Return Kione.* She could hear him in her mind. The boy looked indignant.

"Master..." He spoke aloud. The voice that answered was laced with demand and anger. Chaos sounded pissed. It warmed her little.

*Now Kione. You have done enough.*

The boy's smile dropped, and he released the blade, letting it dissipate to nothing. She stood her ground through sheer force of will, her vision nothing more than a blur of shadow. He looked at her, and smiled once more.

"Don't die Serenity." He said. She was too out of it to be surprised. "I think you and I could have some fun together." He disappeared then, as well as his sister, in a flash of royal purple that matched his eyes. There were noises that came to her ears. Screams, voices. Someone was calling..her name? Was that her name? Usagi...

Everything was fuzzy, detached. She was aware she was losing alot of blood. And then aware of nothing but deep pools of prussian blue. "Usagi Onegai."

She'd never heard his voice like that. It was coming back, with the pain. She gasped, and tried to focus. Tried hard because he needed her to. He needed her to be okay. The tone of his normally stoic voice said it all. "Hilde." She whispered. She knew it wasn't what he wanted to hear, but she had to know. Did she complete her task? Duo was next to her, she could feel him. He radiated so many emotions. Sounded so very sad.

"She fine Usa. You saved her. She's fine."

She smiled, coughed at the metallic taste of blood. Hiiro's hand was pressed to the wound in her chest. She wanted to tell him it hurt. Thought better of it. "Hiiro." If these were her last words, she wanted them to be for him. "Gomen Nasai." **For not being okay. For making you sound so sad. **

"Shhh." He was trying to be calm. She could feel his insides raging like a hurricane. It gave her some hope. Some small part of her was still ticking. Her heart was still beating. She could hear it in her own ears, slow, but there. "You shouldn't speak. Quatre's getting a doctor."

She breathed in and out and it hurt. Blood dribbled from her mouth over her lip and she felt him wipe it with a shaking hand. **So sorry.** Her vision tunneled again, and as pain consumed her, she whispered his name, hoping he caught all of the feeling she conveyed in just one breath. "Hiiro." And then it was dark, and ever so still.

...

The shots he fired bounced off the barrier Usagi had created with ease, and he cursed her for it, half-heartedly. He hadn't seen her move, but his eyes did not lie. She stood impaled on the blade that had been meant for Hilde, and was somehow still standing, staring at the small boy.

He spoke aloud, and though he could not hear he read his lips. "Don't die Serenity. I think you and I could have some fun together." Hiiro's fists clenched, and he cursed aloud.

And then the boy disappeared with his small accomplice in flashes of purple. The barrier had dissipated in sparks of lavender as she fell, and her body bounced off the ground. He ran faster than he'd ever thought he could, felt Duo and the others with him. He lifted her up to him with hands cold with sweat, holding a hand over the wound in her chest, So much blood, there was just so much blood. He vaguely realized this was Usagi that was in his arms, not the cool Cosmos, not that it mattered to him. Her hair was as black as the night that surrounded them, her wings non-existent. Her clothes had changed back to that of a simple black sundress and sandals.

"Usagi." He whispered her name. "And for the first time ever, his voice broke. It hardened with his insistence. "Usagi open your eyes." He looked at the wounds she had sustained, and his heart fell. "Usagi Onegai." It was a whisper, without strength.

He searched her eyes when they finally opened. They were dull, and lifeless. Tired. "Hilde." He stopped himself from punching the ground in frustration. She was lying there bleeding to death and she was worried for the girl she'd never met.

Duo was beside him. He had untied Hilde, who clung to him, her face pale with horror as she stared down at Usagi. "She's fine Usa. You saved her. She's fine." His comrades voice was as broken as his had first been. He wanted to hate Hilde for doing this to his angel. To the one thing he was loathe to lose, before even his own life. Decided in a split second he was being unfair.

"Hiiro." Her eyes locked on his, and he breathed out. His chest was tight with emotions he did not know. Was this fear, was this worry, and beneath it, the warmth that had gone cold at the sight of her blood. Love? "Gomen Nasai."

Sorry? She was saying she was sorry? It took all he had not to snap back. To tell her she was stupid, that he needed her to live, not be sorry. That he had told her to come back because...because... "You shouldn't speak." He said instead. "Quatre is getting a doctor." And spied the blonde Arabian out of the corner of his eye, Rashid running in long strides in front of him. He and Catherine had arrived a few hours ago. He was thankful for it.

She breathed in, and it was labored. She choked on the blood that was in her mouth, he wiped it away with shaking fingers. "Hiiro." Was the last thing she said, and it spoke volumes. It made his insides hurt more. His heart constricted as she fell limp in his arms, and he was pushed away as gently as possible by Quatre.

He looked down on her with eyes that were as cold as they had ever been, and shoved Quatre with force, exploding without meaning to. The image of her still body was in his mind as he ran. And ran. And ran.

...

He felt sick to his stomach. He had let Hilde go to be checked out by Lana. He sat outside the room where Rashid, Asiya, and two other medic maguanacs worked diligently on Usagi. He looked up when Quatre exited the room, looking pale and weak as he closed the door. "How is she?"

It was a sick, sad deja-vu. He remembered asking that same question on the night they had whisked her away from her cell. But it didn't hold the weight it held now. Quatre sat heavily in the chair next to him.

"They are the best." He started. "Rashid is the best doctor I know. But she's lost alot of blood Duo." He looked pained, clutched at his chest. Duo knew he could physically feel more than he could. His empathic abilities were strong, and went beyond emotion, crossing the threshold to sharing one's pain. "And that thing. It seems to have poisoned her. Rashid thinks he has a good recipe for the antidote. Asiya is working on it now, but it takes time, time Usagi is losing." He breathed out slowly, Duo guessed to calm himself. He looked awfully sick all of a sudden. "The wound in her chest is severe. Rashid said she had a lung punctured. The only good thing seems to be that all the wounds were clean, and can be repaired with his expertise. He worries at the loss of blood and her will to live." He looked up, and locked eyes with him. Duo could clearly see the tears there. "But Duo, I swear, her heart is beating like a drum. I have no doubt that she will wake up. It's amazing."

He got up , and held out an arm for the Arabian, who nodded with a tight lipped smile and took it. There was no way the blonde could walk on his own, and being so close to Usagi was killing him. He let Quatre lean on him as he walked down the hall. He could feel him getting stronger as they moved away.

"Standing here won't do a thing buddy." He said softly. And didn't know if he was trying to affirm his leaving of his post, or Quatre's. "Have you seen Hiiro?"

Quatre took a deep breath, and stood straight, stopping for a moment. "I haven't seen him. Trowa and Wufei tried to tail him, and he disappeared."

Duo frowned. He wasn't happy with Hiiro for running. She needed him here with her. But, Duo thought, Maybe his stoic friend didn't know that. Usagi may have opened him up, and may have even stolen the soldier's heart. But that didn't mean he knew how to interpret the emotions he had never had. In that case, good old Duo knew what to do. "I know where to find him." He said. "You gonna be okay?"

Quatre nodded. "Don't take too long." He said.

Duo strode away from him slowly. He needed to change before he left. If Hiiro felt anything like Duo did right now, which he was sure by his reaction to Usagi's condition was true, he knew just where to find him. And he'd be there awhile.

...

He leaned over the glass of bourbon like it was his lifeline. He knew Duo was there before he saw him. It was something in his step, he knew it better than any other. He also figured he'd be the first one to find him. Dropping Wufei and Trowa's tail was easy. But when he stayed in one place, there was the definite outcome of one of the pilots finding him. They were just all that good. Of course Duo, though he had once tried his hardest to deny it, also knew him best.

He dodged the uppercut, but took the left hook to the face. The bourbon was making him slow. He ignored the cries of the other patrons in the bar. Some had just gotten up and walked away. Instead he stared Duo down with eyes of pure ice. Only their location stopped him from pulling his gun.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Duo spit, and there were 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from the crowd that had gathered. Duo stared them down with stony eyes and their attention averted immediately.

Hiiro wiped the blood from his lip and spit, taking another swig of bourbon before speaking. "I won't sit there and watch her die." He said, and the words were ice incarnate.

Duo sighed, and took the seat next to him at the bar. He raised a hand for the bartender, who walked over slowly, wiping a glass as he did so. "Prefer you did the fighting outside." He said. His hair was orange, of all colors, his eyes a deep brown that were battle worn and sharp.

"We're done." Duo said with half a grin. "Can I get two more glasses of whatever he's drinking?" The bartender narrowed his eyes, and picked up two glasses.

"Keep it friendly." he said as he set down the glasses. His accent was japanese, like Hiiro's, slightly more prominent. "I don't like to climb over the bar. But I will if you make me." For some reason Hiiro believed him. The man looked as if he could rumble with the best of them, and he was not at his best at the moment. He took the glass Duo offered and took a long swig, slamming it down half full.

"Thanks bud." Duo said, and took a sip of the stuff himself. His face pinched up immediately, and he spit. "Jeez Hiiro is this shit strong enough?" He looked at it. "I bet it's flammable.."

"Hn." He wasn't in the mood. The bourbon was strong. He needed it to be strong. He drank very little, but his immunity was part of his training under Dr. J. They had all gone through this training, except for Duo. He was just a natural tank.

"Listen, Hiiro." He said. "I know how you feel right now."

"I don't." He spit, wishing he did.

"I do." Duo said it strongly. "Look I know you don't know what you're feeling. But I can tell you with certainty that she needs you next to her right now. And that pain in your chest? Is fear of losing her."

"She's alive?" He asked, and Duo nodded.

"There are some complications." He took another sip of his drink, obviously over the taste. "But Quatre feels certain she will pull through."

"What complications?"

"Get off your ass and go to her." Duo finished his bourbon, and lifted a finger, and the tough looking bartender came back, setting down another glass. He looked only mildly interested in the exchange, and a knowing look passed between him and Duo that Hiiro did not miss. "And Rashid can tell you himself. If you're worried Hiiro, that's exactly where you need to be. And barring your obviously icy tone, what you're saying means you want to be there." He raised his glass, and downed it in one shot, and Hiiro followed suit, with half his fourth glass and one more for the road.

Duo waited patiently for him to finish, and when he was done, he let Duo lift him by his shirt, practically dragging him out. The bartender saluted him with a smirk that would have made Hiiro angry in another time, another place. How come all of a sudden everyone knew him better than he knew himself? The movement made his vision swim. He'd never been so drunk before. He realized now that it was true what they said. It did not make you forget. It made it worse. It made it real. And somehow Duo knew it would. So had the orange haired bartender.

He didn't speak as Duo shoved him into a car. Just let the braided pilot take him to where he needed to be. Right by her side.

...

He stumbled more than walked into the room, Duo had left him at the door, with a pat on the back. Quatre had met them at the front of Sanq, and cast a fatherly eye on Hiiro's swollen lip, but had been discreet enough not to pry. "You can see her. She's stable for now." He had said, so Duo had led him here, and left.

It was quiet and dark in the room. She lay on the bed with more bandages and Iv's and monitors than he liked, her breathing slow and erratic. He stood next to her, startled when a voice came out of the darkness. "I can't completely get rid of the poison."

"Poison?" He asked. Duo had not told him about this... The figure stood, and he recognized her instantly. It was Asiya. he remembered her, Rashid's youngest.

"Yes, the being she fought poisoned her wound. But she's fighting it on her own. It's remarkable. Her punctured lung is healing too, albeit slowly." She bowed under his cool glare, and smiled. "I'll leave you alone now, Master Hiiro." He watched her leave, cursing the alcohol in his veins. He hadn't even noticed she was there. Then, he turned his vision back to her.

She was so pale. He laid a hand on hers, and it was warm. He didn't know if it was the alcohol, or just the sight of her, that made his lips go loose, and the words spring from them. "Gomen Nasai." He reached up and touched her face, a soft brush of his fingertips. "I should have been here the whole time."

She shook, and he gripped her arms to hold her down, his eyes softening at the sight. "I need you to wake up Usagi. I need you to be okay. I need you." They spilled like a fountain, words he'd never spoken to anyone. "Anata wa watashi no jinsei desu."

She didn't move, and he hung his head over her, sitting heavily in the chair Asiya had previously occupied. With his head resting at her side, over the stiff infirmary sheets, he drifted to sleep.

...

"Do you know what that locket means?" He could hear Chibi-Usa's voice, but could not see her. It was dark, and fuzzy, as if he was only half asleep. "It only plays for two souls connected to the core. Have you heard it's song, Hiiro Yui?"

The darkness cleared, and he stood not in the plane of light and shadow as he had before, but on a craggy surface, with space far above him, clear, full of twinkling stars, to his left, close enough to see the clouds wandering over the surface and the green and brown of ground below, was the Earth.

"Yes, this is the Moon." His eyes flitted to Mamoru, who held Chibi-Usa in his arms. Her red eyes were glowing with an emotion he did not understand entirely. "Usagi's real brithplace."

"She's sick right now, huh?" Chibi said, and he saw it now, worry, love. Did his eyes look like that when he stared at her?

"She won't wake up." He said, and expected more of a reaction than he got. Chibi smiled softly, and Mamoru spoke.

"She will. Don't underestimate her will to live. To fight. It amazed me everyday."

"Me too." Chibi said quietly. "She still amazes me. After all these years."

"Do you know why?" Hiiro asked. "Why she took the blade to her own chest?"

"I think you know why, Hiiro Yui. Truth is she doesn't think much before she acts, when it comes to another life. She will do anything, to save anyone. Isn't that why you love her?" Mamoru's eyes filled with cooly sustained laughter at the shock he knew was in his eyes.

"Love?" He whispered.

"Hiiro no baka." Chibi scolded, wagging her finger in the air playfully. "Do you still deny it? The way she makes your heart beat? That tight feeling in your chest that won't go away?" She sighed, as if frustrated, but smiled afterwards. She looked tired. They both did.

"This is that last time we can come to you. Hiiro." Mamoru said. He looked up at the hulking castle behind him. "Our will can only stretch so far. But there is one last thing we must trust to you before we go."

Chibi raised her hand, and a light grew there, bright pink, and Mamoru put his free hand next to hers, a light that was royal blue and dark green swirling with that of his mesume's. When it cleared, Chibi held a key in her hand, silver, attached to a long golden chain. This time, instead of tossing it, she leapt from Mamoru's grasp, and walked up to Hiiro, standing before him with shining eyes.

"You will know when to use this." She said, and put it in his outstretched hand, for a moment, clasping it with her own. " Protect and love my mama. Hiiro Yui. Help her save your beautiful earth. We bestow upon the you the power of the moon, and the power of the Earth itself, to do so. Sarabada."

And then they were gone. He opened his eyes to the prone form of Usagi, writhing in pain on her infirmary bed, and when he reached out to put a hand on her arm, he saw the key dangling from his wrist. Embedded in the top. were two crystals. One bright pink, and the other a muddy blue and green.

Know when to use it? Usagi relaxed, her breathing slowing, and he brushed his fingers over her cheek, grasping the key in a closed hand. "Arigatou." He said aloud, hoping they could hear. If it helped him never to see her like this again, he was more than grateful. Because he did. Gods, he really did love the girl that laid prone before him. They said she would be okay, but she just looked so...broken.

"You have to wake up Usagi." He whispered in the dark. "Onegai."

...

Quatre brushed a hand through his hair, and put on his best smile for Trowa as he looked at him. He was currently sitting on his lap, on a soft love seat in one of Sanq's many lounges. His chest still ached. His body hurt like he'd been wounded himself, but being close to Trowa made the pain fade, if only a little.

Wufei was there, seated next to Sally, who was holding his hand of all things. Noin sat on Millardo's lap, playing wordlessly with his hair, and Hilde sat next to Duo, bandaged but looking much better, toying with the buttons on his shirt. Relena sat alone, picking at the chair she was on as if it was covered in lint. It was spotless actually, but he did not blame her. They were all nervous. It was remarkable, that after years of denying their feelings, hiding them from even eachother, the thought of the loss of one person, a person they had just met, had brought them all closer to one another. For a long time no one spoke, but then Relena cleared her throat, her voice uncertain.

"Is Hiiro with her?"

"Since I pulled him from the counter at the Bankai."

"He was drinking?" Noin asked, in mild disbelief. She'd never seen any of them pick up more than a glass of wine at a special event, barring Duo.

"Wouldn't you?" Wufei asked, and Noin closed her open mouth with a soft snap.

"Yes," she said quietly, touching Milliardo's face and looking at him, really looking at him. "I suppose I would."

"How does she do it?" Duo asked aloud, and every eye in the room turned to him. "We've been at this for years. Fighting non-stop, denying every feeling that came our way because the battle was more important. And in little over a month, she's got Hilde holding my hand without yelling at me, Wufei sitting an inch away from Sally, and Noin and Quatre sitting on Milliardo and Trowa's laps!" He smiled and shook his head. "She's even got you worried Relena. And to be honest, I thought you wouldn't take to her at all, seeing as how..."

"Duo." Quatre chided, but Relena raised a hand with a small smile.

"I'd be stupid not to see it Quatre." She said. "Though I'd love to play the fool." Milliardo looked at her with a gaze that was half pity, half proud brotherly love. "How can you not be wrapped in her light? Not revel in being so close to something so ethereal?" She sighed. "It's no wonder. She has us all love-struck in different ways. And her sacrifce taught us, in less than a day, that we've been wrong this whole time."

"She's right." Sally said. "In times like these, why push what you want away?" She squeezed Wufei's hand, and he gazed down on her with burnt coal eyes. "You might not have the chance to get it back."

"How is she?" Milliardo asked. "We've been wrapped up in all the politics of this, gathering soldiers and overseeing the production of mobile dolls. The Gundams are being transferred here soon, and my men have already started modifications on Zero."

"She's alive." Quatre said, and when he thought of her, the pain came back, fresh, burning. Trowa laid a hand on his shoulder, and he breathed out slowly. "I can feel her fighting the poison. But it was something unknown to Asiya or Rashid. There was only so much they could do. The rest is up to her."

"She has to wake up." Hilde said. "I still have to thank her for saving my life."

"I have a feeling she'd tell you not to worry about it." Duo said, rubbing her arm. "She jumped into that battle without question, knowing the stakes were against her. With a smile. She's a fighter."

"And has been for longer than any of us have been alive, added together." Trowa said. There was a hushed murmur about the room, and they all fell into silence again. Another day had come and passed, and there was still much to do. But they were all content, for just a moment, to enjoy one another's company. Before the storm came their way.

...

**And another chapter bites the dust. This chapter had alot more action than the previous ones. Hiiro had finally confessed his love for Usagi...to himself. Will he be able to tell her to her face if and when she wakes up? And Duo, Wufei and Hiiro have received the power to aid in the battle, even though they don't know exactly how to use it. Who will visit Quatre and Trowa? What else do Chaos and his terrible twins have in store for The Goddess of Stars and the Gundam Pilots? Even I don't know. I'm making it up as I go along. So tune in for the next chapter of Fuseiseki, coming soon! P.s. There was a guest character in this chapter...can you guess who? Remember to review! And a side note to all my reviwers who have posted previously... I apologize for not getting back to you on here... but posting the chapters is all I really have time for at the moment, so please enjoy!**


	13. Chapter Thirteen : Return to Me

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing! It does not stop me from fantasizing though... Oh the fantasies. :)**

**...**

**Fuseiseki : Failure**

**Chapter Thirteen : Return to Me**

**...**

She was so still, so pale. Her breath came out in gasps sometimes, and he would lean close to her then, not trusting the machines to tell him she was breathing. His heart was sick, and though Quatre had tried a number of times, he had not eaten. It had been three days, and she still hadn't opened her eyes. He spoke to her sometimes, hoping she was listening. Pleaded with her to wake up with a voice that was not his own, one he did not recognize.

"How many times am I going to lose that little girl and her dog?" She stirred, just for a moment, and though he didn't know if it would work, he just kept talking. "My father was an assassin, but I don't really know his name, or mine. When I was young, the Doctor that trained my father took me in. Made me what I am. I trained to fight with mobile dolls, hand to hand, weapons of all types. The first time I took Zero out to destroy a base, at 14 years old, I also killed a little girl and her dog. It nearly destroyed me. I saw the mission as failed, so Dr.J saw fit to change that. I was to have no emotions. No connection whatsoever to what I was doing. And so I became the perfect soldier. I was asked to become a Gundam pilot, and took the name Hiiro Yui, after the Colony leader the Gundams were made to avenge. I didn't think about it then... but now..." He brushed his fingers down her arm slowly, staring at her face. "I suppose it could have gone any way. I was built to be a killer. Not for light or dark. But I learned to fight for what I wanted. It didn't bring me peace. But it brought me a sense of Justice."

She didn't move, but her breathing had evened out. It had been a long time since she'd shook with pain. He continued. "When I first met Relena, I told her I was going to kill her. No one was to see my face. But there was something in her, something that reminded me of that little girl and her dog, and I couldn't do it. It was the first time after Dr.J's training that I remember feeling something. Even though I didn't know what it was."

He reached towards Usagi's face, brushing a strand of black hair from her forehead, and clenching his fists in frustration. "I know now. Usagi." He whispered. "That she couldn't be what I needed. I know now that..." He leaned down, and kissed the pale skin of her forehead. "I need you. So please wake up. Onegai."

He cursed quietly when she did not move, pressing his forehead to hers. This was not working. He'd been stupid to think that it would. He clutched her arms to keep her from harming herself as tremors shook her body, wishing he knew what to do.

...

"Are you alright?" They laid on his bed, in his room, Hilde curled next to him in the dim light. He had pulled the shades, so though it was around 2pm, the room was dark and cool. Thin strips of light hit his far wall, and he stared at the contrast it made, giving her time to answer.

"Yes," She whispered, and then turned to look at him. "No." She reached a hand up to his face, stroking his cheek. "You're not alright."

He tried to smile for her, failed miserably. "I'll be alright when she wakes up."

"Do you love her Duo?" Hilde's tone spoke volumes of jealousy and hurt, and this time he really smiled. He never imagined he'd hear that in her voice. So many things had changed in so little time.

"Babe." He said softly, the smile still on his lips. And he reached to hold each side of her face as he spoke. "When you meet her, you will understand. You heard Relena. I can't speak for Hiiro, but for the rest of us, she's like a little sister. Something it's ingrained in us to protect." He laid a soft kiss on Hilde's lips, and she smiled back at him.

"I'm hungry." Hilde laughed as Duo's stomach reiterated his words, And grumbled irritably. She patted his stomach and moved to get up, giving him one quick kiss before standing.

"Let's go eat then."

...

He didn't usually sleep in, or take naps, but being so close to Usagi made him more tired than usual. Not to mention he was also taking the brunt of the swirling emotions of Hiiro, Duo, and all of the others. The only one who didn't tax him was Trowa. He had an innate ability to block Quatre's unconscious probing.

His dream had been about watching Usagi's chest blossom with red, again and again. He watched it with a heavy heart, eyes hard, and was surprised when the scene changed. He was standing at the edge of an ocean, and coming in on the waves, walking as if the water could not touch them, were two females figures.

"Quatre." The voice was older, soft. For a moment he was painfully reminded of Iria, until he saw her face. Pale skin framed with shoulder length, wavy turquoise hair, and set with eyes of dark ocean blue. The girl next to her had eyes of blue as well, a shade lighter, and hair cut short, that perfectly matched her eyes. Her skin was slightly darker than the first. They both wore a short fuku, that he recognized from pictures Duo had shown to him. He blushed at their length. "Oh you are adorable." The voice continued.

The second girl blushed, and spoke. "Michi-kun." The first girl laughed easily, and bowed in apology.

"Forgive me Quatre. I forgot myself for a moment. My name is Michiru, otherwise known as Sailor Neptune. And my companion here, is Sailor Mercury, Or Ami. We've come to give you aid, in your coming battle."

"Give me aid?" He asked. Ami nodded.

"You who carry the love and pain of our princess, is worthy of our power." She raised her hand, and gathered a pool of blue energy, and The one named Michiru held hers beside it, gathering a pool of turquoise. They swirled together like water, and formed a silver key, on a long silver chain. They were on the beach now, standing before him, though he did not remember them moving closer.

"You will know when to use this power, when the time comes." Michiru said. "And we will be here, watching."

"As long as we are able." Sailor mercury said. "Our will grows weak with the loss of our starseeds."

"You are not alive?" he asked. Michiru shook her head.

"No more than Usagi is." She said, and he blanched.

"What?" Sailor Mercury shot Michiru a look that said she wasn't sure if she should continue, but Michiru brushed it off.

"He is the one Ami," She said softly. "The only one who can retrieve it." Her eyes caught his, and he felt she was staring into his soul, heard the crash of waves behind her.

"Not even our princess knows of it." She said. "But she is not complete. The crystal she used long ago to amplify her power, lost in her crash in this time, was actually a piece of her soul. It is the reason for her slow healing, and the scars she bears on her body and soul."

Ami spoke then. "You must find the ginshinzou. The last piece of her soul. You must not let her know of this. Or the others, if you can help it. You alone can retrieve it from it's place of rest. It will not be easy."

Michiru stepped forward, and he held out his hand for her to press the key in it, marveling at the warmth it gave off. "She cannot win if she is not whole Quatre. We, her sensei, have bestowed all the power we have to let you aid her in this battle, but without the Ginshinzou, it will not be enough. We lay our trust in your hands. Do not fail us."

He nodded, questions spinning around his head, and then the ocean was gone, the beach was gone, and he was staring at the intruding sunlight through his window, back in his room. He looked down at the key he held with awe. It was set with two gems, one ocean blue, and one turquoise.

A piece of her soul was missing? He sighed. And it was his task alone to get it back. Where was he supposed to start? Things just kept getting more complicated. He looked up as his door opened, and smiled softly at the sight of Trowa.

...

Trowa sat on his bed next to him, and he curled himself around him habitually. His presence was comforting. He could sense he had something to say, and waited patiently.

"I had a dream." Trowa's voice rumbled in his chest when he spoke. "Of two guardians of the Moon princess." Quatre's eyes lit up as he looked into Trowa's. "They said we were all given aid to help Usagi."

Quatre turned the key over in his palm, and at the same time, Trowa pulled a similar one from beneath his shirt. The colors of the gems were different, dark green and yellow.

"Me too." He whsipered. He kept the last bit to himself, though it pained him to hide something from Trowa. Michiru had said it was his task alone. "This certainly is getting more interesting."

Trowa nodded, and wrapped his arms around Quatre, letting the chain fall over his green shirt. "Certainly. We should talk to the others."

"Yes." He said. "In awhile." He looked up at the quiet man, and his heart melted in his chest as he smirked. His breath caught in his throat as Trowa leaned down, and thier lips met in a soft kiss. "Let's just lay here." Trowa brushed a hand through his hair, and he sighed in contentment. "Just for a moment, let's lay here."

...

"Do you miss her?" Sally was sitting in between his legs, and he was sitting on one of the fountains in the garden. She had found him there, training. He knew what she meant, and sighed. Merian.

"Everyday. Must you ask such a question, Onna?" It had come out soft, because he already knew why. "Do you think it diminishes what I feel for you?"

She looked up at him with a smile in her eyes, laced with underlying sadness. "Forgive me." She said.

"I already have." He answered, and leaned down to capture her lips with his own. She put her hand on his, and turned back to stare into the gardens.

"Have you forgiven yourself?" She asked. He was quiet for a moment, staring at the scenery in the cool shade, and spoke carefully.

"Many would ask what there was to forgive."

"Don't play with me Wu." She said affectionately. "We are the few, not the many."

He smirked, though she could not see it. Her fire was what made him adore her so. "No. I haven't. But neither has Quatre, or Trowa, or Hiiro, or even Duo no baka. Neither I think, has Usagi. Though she deserves it most of all. It is not an easy task, coming back from where we have been."

"I see why she has earned your respect." Sally said, and truly meant it. There was a tie between all of them, a thread that was frayed, but could never be broken. The remorse of war. Of lost lives. "Do you think she'll wake soon?"

"It is up to her, whether or not she will." Wufei said. "I can't say I blame her. To be thrust into war, time and time again, in every life. I am grateful to have only lived one, when I hear such a thing."

"And a hard one it has been." Sally said, wistfully. He nodded in the cool summer breeze. "Kuro Taiyou is mobilizing more troops as we speak. We cannot wait forever to move in."

"I agree." He said. "For though this battle is different from most, we still fight humans, with their greed and injustice. We are building our own army. Another war of the worlds." He put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him again, her eyes open and trusting. "Give Usagi a little more time. In this instance there is not much more we can do. I will talk to the others of mobilizing soon. I'm sure it is on all their minds."

"Yes Wu." She said softly, and he kissed her on the forehead, staring once again into the soft green of the gardens to calm his mind.

...

The rum was bitter. Noin wondered just how long it had sat in the liquor cabinet. Relena was not a drinker, but Milliardo was at times. And they kept a fully stocked closet on the chance one of the diplomats prefered a certain poison. She sat alone in one of the many lounges of Sanq, the bottle and a single glass her company.

She heard his footsteps before she saw him, an dleaned into him as he wrapped her arms around her from behind, breathing out.

"You smell like a bar." He said, with a teasing lilt in his voice. And then he moved to sit next to her, picking up the bottle of rum and making a face at the smell. With a shurg, he took a swig, and she smiled, taking another sip from her glass.

"Figured I'd take a page from Hiiro's book." She said. "Waiting is killing me."

He took another swig from the bottle. "It's killing us all." He said, and she held out her glass. He obliged by filling it to the top. She took a sip, sitting back in her chair with a soft sigh.

"How is she?" She asked, and Milliardo shrugged.

"The poison is filtering itself from her blood. Rashid checks on her when he can. Thank the Gods he doesn't fear Hiiro's glare. The boy hasn't left her side."

"It's strange." Noin said, and she was feeling tipsy now, her words loose. "To see him so focused on something that doesn't involve fighting."

"But it does, love." Milliardo said. "She is fighting for her life, and he is fighting all the emotions he wasn't supposed to have. There is more than just the battle for our world happening now. Such things usually speak of weakness."

"But I have never felt stronger." She said. He nodded in agreement.

"Nor have I. She is a remarkable girl."

"Is Relena okay?" He looked up at Noin, his eyes filled with the brotherly love she loved to see. He loved his sister so wholly.

"Yes." He said. "She is a strong girl. She worries for Usagi's condition, and has been holding up well enough under the pressure. Her speech is amazing. And she wouldn't let me help her write it. Many will rally to our side."

"Your pride is evident." She said with a smile.

"As it should be." He lifted the rum to his mouth, opening his ars arms Noin crawled onto his lap, drink in hand. He set the bottle down with a clank on the table next to him as he held her.

"Are you ready for this?" Noin asked, and he rubbed her back as she took another sip.

"We all are." He said. "Of that I have no doubt." She leaned in for a chaste kiss, and he returned it, making her heart beat faster.

Yes, they were ready. But it didn't mean they would win. She took another sip of her rum, and sighed, comfortable in his arms.

...

She could hear his voice through the fogginess of her brain. Heard him spill his deepest secrets to her. Some things she could tell he'd never said aloud. It broke her heart to hear of his life. Yes, her own had been hard. But she'd had a childhood. She'd had a mother, and a father. She wanted to wake up. To tell him that if he would let her, she would always be here to hold him. To remind him that his past was just that, the past.

The pain raced through her veins, and she struggled with opening her eyes. Everything hurt, but her heart most of all. For him, for the battle that was coming. For the lives that would be lost. She had saved just one. So many more were in danger. His was in danger. She was falling apart with the stress of it all.

His voice was keeping her together. His random touches, kisses, slowly bringing her back to life. Goddess she treasured him. Treasured his strength, his presence. She wanted to tell him. But her lips would not move.

It would be easy to give up now. Though she knew death would not claim her. It would be easy to stay right here, in the darkness, with his voice and nothing else, and forget about the threat. But the will to fight was still strong. Less intense than that of wanting to speak to him maybe, but so strong it could not be ignored. It was ingrained in her, no matter how much she cursed it. No matter how scared she was. She had promised her life to protecting those who could not do so for themselves. But did it mean she couldn't promise herself to him too?

She understood his reluctance better now. Emotions made it all so much more complicated. If she didn't survive, if he didn't, would they be able to bear it? The cost was always too high. But didn't that mean it was worth it? To hold the things you wanted in the wake of devastation close to your heart. Because tomorrow could take them away. She knew from experience. She had lost it all, and still her heart held on to their memories. Pulled on them for strength. Love made you stronger.

There was a resolve in her, and she fought harder. Pushed the pain from her limbs and struggled to force her tired body to do it. Open your eyes. She repeated it like a mantra. Open your eyes. Open your eyes, Open your eyes. For them. For him. Keep fighting. Open your eyes.

And with a groan, and a breath, she did. She looked up into his Prussian blues, her eyes watering. The pain was more fresh here. Stung more. But she had done it. With a shiver that embraced her whole body, she breathed out to steady herself, and smiled at him.

...

She was nervous. She always was before she had to make a speech. It was something that did not go away, no matter the reason, no matter her resolve. "Are you ready Miss Relena?"

Pagan stood beyond the camera, with the crew they normally used for such events at the ready. She was grateful for his presence. Usually Milliardo would be with her, but she had asked him to stay away. She could not lean on him. She would do this herself. "I'm ready."

The cameraman counted down, and she stood with her hands clasped together, waiting until he raised his hand to signal they were broadcasting. When he did, she started, her voice clear and strong.

"We face a new threat, my fellow people. One that threatens to claim lives in the thousands, should we let it run rampant. Kuro Taiyou had staked his claim on the Earth Sphere and the surrounding colonies, and I can tell you without pause that his reign promises only pain, suffering, and death."

She paused, and her voice grew stronger. "I come to you to today to ask you to raise your weapons, your arms, and your hearts with us, to destroy this threat. We will not be silenced, nor will we be defeated if we work together."

She paused, letting the thought sink in, and began again. "I have said before, that although pacifism is ideal, there are times when you must fight for what you believe in. This is one of those times. We call you to arms, to aid in the battle against one who would end our peaceful world. I, Queen Relena of the Earth Sphere, ask this of you. And the Preventers and Gundam Pilots stand behind me."

"Those who wish to fight, who are able, should go to the Preventer's head quarters at each colony and Earth. I thank you for your time, and your strength, and hope you answer my plea. Thank you."

She sighed as the cameraman signaled the transmission had ended, and sat hard in the chair that was behind her. Pagan was at her side after a few quick strides, and he laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It was wonderful Miss Relena."

"Thank you Pagan." She said, but stayed where she was. "If you don't mind, I'd like to be left alone." He nodded, and motioned for the crew to take their leave.

She sat alone silent, a Queen on her throne. A queen who's world was rapidly falling apart. She wondered if Usagi had felt like this. When the chips were down and she'd had to turn her own hands on her court. And then she decided, that it much be much worse. She would be strong in the face of the coming threat. It was all she could do. Her friends would have to handle the rest.

In the silence, she put her head in her hands, content for the moment with doing absolutely nothing. Thinking, absolutely nothing.

...

He was just staring at her, and she back at him. He didn't know what to do at first, but then a feeling rose in his chest, so powerful it hurt, and he assaulted her with his lips, needing, wanting. She gasped into his mouth, and he pulled back, seeing the pain in her eyes and putting a hand to her face.

"Gomen Nasai." He said. Seeing her open her eyes had filled him with more emotion than he could handle. He had nearly forgotten she was still wounded.

"Hiiro." She whsipered, and smiled, and his heart sung with the sound of his name from her lips. He wanted to kiss her again, and he did, this time softly, carefully, she smiled at him when he broke away, and he laid his forehead to hers, staring into her eyes.

"Daijoubu?" He asked, and she laughed, wincing at the movement.

"It says alot about us that this is a regular thing." She said, her voice still hadn't come back strong, and he moved as she pushed herself to a sitting position. "How long have I been out?"

"Three days." He said, supporting her back with a strong hand. "You shouldn't be moving Usagi." She smiled at him, bringing a hand up slowly to touch his face.

"You've been here the whole time." She ran a hand through is hair, and he reveled in the touch, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Not the whole time." He opened his eyes and looked deep into hers. "You can thank Duo for reigning me back in."

"How is Hilde?" He leaned into her hand.

"Your frame of mind amazes me. She's fine. A few bruises, a broken rib. She didn't take a blade through the chest, thanks to you."

She smiled. "I'm hungry Hiiro. Help me get up?" He smirked at her. She was amazing. Simply amazing. And she was his. The thought came on it's own, but he liked the sound of it. His beautiful Tenshi. He gently pulled the IV's from her arms, leaving the catheters for Rashid to deal with later. Then he removed the monitors on her heartbeat and breathing, ignoring the dull tone they made at detachment.

As he lifted her into his arms, the door burst open, and there stood Rashid and Asiya, their mouths twisting from panicked frowns to relieved smiles.

"She's hungry." Hiiro said, and Rashid bowed low.

"I shall cook a meal for her myself, right away Master Hiiro." And left to do just that.

"Good to see you again Asiya." Usagi said with a soft smile, and the girl bowed with the smile still on her face.

"As it is to see you Usagi." She said. "Shall I come to your room to change your bandages later?"

Hiiro shook his head. "I will change her bandages." He said, and Usagi looked at him with shining eyes, laughing a bit. "You will have the implements sent to her room."

Asiya bowed again, smiling, and let them past. "As you wish."

He carried her down the hall, and looked down on her when she whispered. "Let's go outside Hiiro." He obliged by carrying her down the stairs, through the lobby and the lounge, and out onto the Veranda. Duo sat there, and Hilde, as well as the rest of the Pilots, Relena, Milliardo, and Noin. And a new face, who she realized must be Catherine.

He smirked at her as all of their mouths dropped open momentarily. "You knew." He said. She smiled wide.

"I guessed." He gave her a quick kiss, and she laughed as she was assaulted by happy voices, truly elated. "Hiiro." She said under the noise. "Put me down!" He smirked again, and the triumph in her eyes at the twich of his lips was evident.

"No." He said, taking a seat with her on his lap, and positioning her there. She ruffled his hair affectionately, and turned to the friends she had made in so little time.

"Ohayo Minna." She threw up the peace sign, and smiled. "How are you?"

...

Hilde had been in the middle of a conversation with Sally, seated comfortably on Duo's lap, when she just stopped speaking, and stared. All eyes had turned the the bay doors of the Veranda, and there stood Hiiro, with a smiling Usagi in his arms.

She looked no worse for wear. There were a few bruises that painted her arm, and was practically covered in bandages under her black tank top and black shorts. She still had the ducts for her Iv's in her arms, but she was awake, and looked content.

"Usa!" Duo shouted happily, and stood so fast that Hilde had to scramble to balance on her own two feet. He rubbed his head and looked apologetic, but she just smiled at him. Happy to see him excited. As they all were. The voices of welcome rang out all together, and even Hilde was warmed at the reception.

"Hiiro, put me down!" She cried, and Hilde smiled as Hiiro smirked at her, something she'd never seen without hint of malice, and he answered.

"No." he sat down in the chair across from her own and Duo's, and positioned her in his lap.

"Ohayo Minna." Usagi said, and Hilde was sure she'd never heard such a sure and confident voice. She threw up a peace sign, and continued. "How are you?"

Hilde wasn't sure how her face looked at the moment, but she bet it matched that of her comrades. Disbelief. This girl had taken a blade to the chest, survived it, and was asking how they were? She was all they had made her out to be and more. The love blossomed in her chest at the mere sight of her, and now she understood. She was the essense of light and purity. To be near her was to bask in her glow. To know her was like no other joy. They were the lions, but she was the pride.

"Onna if you weren't injured I would show you how I am." Wufei said, and blocked the hit from Sally he knew was coming with a smirk. "It's good to see you awake."

"You had us worried Usa." Duo said, and sat back down, smiling. Hilde did not. Instead she stepped before Usagi, her eyes shining as she spoke.

"I cannot thank you enough." Usagi smiled up at her, her hand in Hiiro's.

"No need." She said, and Duo laughed. He had said her reaction would be as much. "Stop laughing Duo-chan!" She said, but she was laughing with him, clutching her chest to relieve the obvious pain in caused her. When she could breathe, she addressed Hilde again. "I am glad you are okay. Please don't think too much of it. You are important to Duo-chan. And so you are important to me."

She was amazed at how easily she brushed off risking her life. Perhaps it was why she and Hiiro were so compatible. For different reasons maybe, but both more than willing to jump right into the fire for a good cause. Reckless, admirable, beautiful. Hilde sat back down on Duo's lap, reveling in her presence.

...

"You must be Catherine." Usagi smiled up at the brunette. The woman nodded with a smile, as she took her in. Beautiful, lithe, with an air of wisdom. She wondered if Trowa knew they really were related. She had awoken with an innate sense of everyone and everything around her. Information was spilling towards her at a rapid pace. The powers of Cosmos were rising without her bidding now. Each release brought her closer to the power that this world depended on. Her wounds itched with the healing.

"I am pleased to meet you Usagi."

"As I am, you." She said, and then grew rather somber.

"How goes the battle?" Usagi got straight to business when the welcome backs were finished. She had not forgotten they were in the middle of a war, and didn't want them to either. It would do no good to forget.

"Relena made her address to the earth and Colonies this morning. The Preventer offices are practically overrun with willing soldiers, young and old." Milliardo said. "And the production of Mobile suits is going well."

She nodded. "And Chaos?"

"Is unfortunately gaining followers as well." Quatre said. "I'm glad to see you are awake Usagi, but would take this moment to ask that all of the pilots join me for a conference of our own."

Hiiro gripped her hand hard, and she patted it with her free hand. "Any harder and you'll crush my fingers." She joked, and smiled when he looked apologetic. "I will survive without you dear one. Leave me with the girls. We can speak when you are finished. I'd like to be in the sunlight."

At that moment Rashid appeared with a few plates of food, and as he stood, Hiiro grabbed a cheeseburger from one, giving her a chaste kiss before taking a bite and following after the rest of the pilots reluctantly.

"Thank you Rashid." Usagi said, and he bowed. "For everything." She had heard his voice too, in the blackness. Knew he and Asiya had been the ones to care for her ailing body. He left with a smile and a bow.

She picked up a cheeseburger with arms that felt like putty, and took a bite. "Mmm." She said, and spoke to the food. "I missed you cheeseburger."

"I'll leave the girls to chat." Milliardo said, and stood, excusing himself with a soft brush of Noin's hair. When he was gone, Hilde spoke.

"I've never seen Hiiro like that." Usagi shrugged, and took another bite, talking with her mouth full.

"I won't be satisfied." She swallowed, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Until I get the full smile." She turned her eyes to Relena, who smiled warmly at her. She worried sometimes that seeing her with Hiiro hurt the girl who had once vied for his love.

Relena cured her worry by moving to take the open chair next to her. "I don't doubt you will succeed." She said. Usagi gave her her brightest smile.

"Arigatou Relena-chan." She took the last bite of her burger and licked her fingers with relish.

"Usagi..." Hilde started, and the dark haired beauty turned to her with soft grey eyes. "How did you manage to get in front of the blade? I thought for sure..." She stopped, looking as if the memory pained her.

"Time stop." Usagi said simply. "I wasn't sure if it was gong to work really. It did just barely. I only had enough time to stop the blade with..." She looked down at the bandages as if they meant nothing. "Well, with myself."

"You say it as if it was nothing." Catherine said. She too had moved closer, they all sat in a circle now, around the table in the warm sun. "It was very brave of you...and.."

Usagi cut her off. "Reckless. I know." She waved her hand in the air lazily. "It's how I've always been. Rei and Makoto would be right there with you right now."

"You certainly fit in with our boys." Noin said with a smile. "But why try a power you weren't sure would work?"

For a moment, Usagi had been lost in the voices she remembered. Her friends scolding her after every battle, worried for her safety. She snapped back with an answer. "When I was dropped here, I lost all of the starseeds of my friends. And my most powerful weapon, the Ginshinzou. I haven't even been able to feel them out, not for lack of trying. With them, I was granted their Sailor Powers. In the first fight with Chaos on this Earth, I pulled Mars Flame Sniper out, one of Rei's attacks, by pure will." Her eyes hardened a bit as she spoke. "I was not always Cosmos. My previous battle with Chaos, and the merging of myself with The starseeds created her, me. I don't know the limitations to this power. It seems I can transcend using the crystals. Chaos holds Pluto's crystal right now. So they must be somewhere. I just can't find them." She sighed. "The transition is at times painful, and very confusing, but Cosmos and myself are slowly becoming one on our own. I don't fully understand it." She smiled softly then. "But why question a good thing?"

"You are truly a wonder to behold." Noin said, and laughed. "A Goddess eating cheeseburgers. Who'd have thought?"

Usagi laughed with her, clutching her chest, which still ached. "Oh, don't make me laugh." She said, and took a deep breath. "Itai." She was still very tender, but her powers of healing were accelerating rapidly. "I'm no Goddess." She said as an afterthought. "Doesn't everyone want to save the world?"

"I'm not sure everyone has your guts Usagi." Sally said, with a smile.

"All of the women I'm sitting with do." She said. "I know only bits and pieces of this Earth's past. But I know it must have been hard for all of you. It warms my heart to see such strong women. In my day, though there were Sailor Scouts, men usually fought the wars."

"Can't let them have all the fun, now can we?" Noin asked. And they all burst into laughter. She loved it. She loved them. And while the impending war was still fresh in her mind, she enjoyed this moment with the girls. It was like old times, she thought wistfully. Different people maybe, but the same heart, a heart that beat a fine song. A song that sung of friendship, hardship, and triumph.

...

**Alright! Another chapter finished. I must admit my inspiration is dwindling, but I'm hoping the next chapter won't be so forced. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter... but it will make a transition into something greater soon. Usagi is awake, and the battle continues. What happens next? Find out in the next chapter of Fuseiseki.**


	14. Chapter Fourteen : Aces in The Hole

_** Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor moon or Gundam Wing. And I tire of telling you over and over again... Leave me alone! :( *pouts***_

...

**Fuseiseki : Failure**

**Chapter Fourteen : Aces in The Hole**

**...**

Quatre pulled his key from beneath his shirt, and let it hang freely over it. It didn't take long for each pilot to do the same. "So we do all have one."

Wufei was leaning against the table in regular fashion, preferring it to sitting. "So what do these Onna's want from us then?"

"To be what they can't any longer." Trowa said. "Sailors."

Wufei huffed. "There is no way I'm going to wear anything like that indecent outfit those Onna's showed up in! Injustice." Duo laughed.

"Saturn said we were supposed to be Usagi's knights, not Sailors." He said. "But Wufei, I think you'd look great in a fuku." He winked, and Wufei growled at him, but Quatre put up a hand for silence.

"The question is, how do we use them?"

Duo looked thoughtful, and then said. "When the Senshi transformed in their time, they always said something aloud. That might be the key." He laughed at his own joke. "Get it, the key?"

"Quiet Duo no baka." Hiiro said.

"He may be right." Trowa added, with an eyebrow raised.

"But if he is.." Wufei said. "What is it we're supposed to say?"

"We were all visited by different people." Quatre said. "It must have something to do with each one individually. Michiru said I would know how to use it when the time came."

"Hn." Hiiro grunted. "Until we are sure what these are for, I would suggest keeping them a secret." The group nodded. "Even from Usagi."

"Saturn said they came to us instead of Usagi because her fear of accepting their deaths keeps them from her. I agree with Hiiro. She's already got a lot on her plate right now."

Quatre nodded again. He had the secret task of finding Usagi's soul to worry about on top of this. It still baffled him. The Scouts that had bestowed them their power only had enough will to do just that. While she, with a missing piece, was not only sustained, but fighting and healing. "Then we wait." He said. "And keep this to ourselves. The focus will remain on the reconditioning of the Gundams, and the building of the army."

"I suggest a reconnaissance mission." Trowa said. He and Quatre had spoken of it at length, so he was not surprised. Duo was immediately receptive.

"Finally some action. I'm in."

"Have you picked a place?" Wufei asked. Trowa nodded.

"There is a place near England on earth where it is reported the troops of Tenshu are gathering. I suggest we go there and find out what we can. If possible, destroy it."

"Mission accepted." Hiiro said. "Prepare soon. We leave in two days."

They all stood slowly, and he waved Trowa away, wishing to be on his own for a moment. His head was clearer now that Usagi had woken up. He had a feeling she was blocking what pain she had left from him. He would scold her for it later. Such niceties were a waste of her energy. Right now, he had to think. There was a mission ahead, and his own task to complete.

"If I was a piece of Usagi's soul, where would I be?" He sighed. A tough question if there ever was one.

...

Hiiro had been waiting for her in her room when Hilde had offered to escort her up. She smiled at him on the bed, and waved a quick goodbye to Hilde, who excused herself with a smile and the closing of Usagi's door. Next to him sat a cart of medical instruments, bandage, salve, and the like. Rashid had removed the ducts to her catheters after lunch. The bruising they had caused was almost healed now.

She was walking with little pain. Being in the sun had renewed her, and although she had to lean on Hilde a bit to get up the stairs, she was feeling stronger. She stepped to him carefully, and sat down next to him, putting her head on his shoulder. "The people that surround you are wonderful." She said.

"Take off your shirt." She smiled at him.

"Hiiro I didn't know you were so forward." She laughed at his smirk.

"Me, forward?" He answered, pulling her in for a kiss. "Never." He helped her with the tank top and she couldn't help the blush that stained her cheeks when she was left in just bandages.

"Did you?" He seemed to know what she was thinking.

"Asiya changed your bandages. Up until now." He reached to unwrap them, gently, carefully. She couldn't look at him when they were finally off, feeling very exposed. He lifted her chin with a calloused finger, and looked into her eyes.

"Hiiro." She whispered, and he kissed her. His lips were soft, inviting, and she opened her own to him, reveling at the taste of him, her shyness fading like smoke on the wind.

"You are beautiful." He said. She looked down at the wound between her bare breasts. It was an angry red, but was sealed. She watched him unwind the bandages on her arm. The cuts there were nothing now, but pale pink scars. She sighed into him as he picked up a medicine soaked rag, kissing her as he gently washed every wound. When he was done she realized she was on her back, and he was above her.

"Hiiro..."

"Shh." He whispered, and kissed her neck. He did not move any further however, though he leaned back and lazily took her in with blazing eyes. When he was done, he kissed her again, setting her on fire, before speaking.

"We are leaving in two days to attack a base in England." It was so sudden, that at first she didn't know what to say. She was slightly put-off by his actions, feeling for a moment like he had used her feelings for him to soften the blow. She pushed this thought away quickly. Hiiro barely knew how to handle his emotions in the first place. The thought had probably not even occurred to him. She wanted to tell him not to go, but knew it was unfair to even ask, after the battle she'd put herself in.

"I'll miss you." she said, because he hadn't asked her if he could go. He'd told her he was going. He was a soldier. This was a war.

"I'll be back soon. Three days at the most." He ran a hand down her back, and she shivered when his fingers trailed over the scars her wings had left there. "I'll only wrap your chest." he said, and she nodded.

His fingers were soft and gentle as he wrapped the bandages taut around her wound. She had sat up to give him better access, her arms in the air. When he was done she settled them around his neck, and pressed her forehead to his. "I could hear you in the dark." She said. "Your stories kept me anchored, though they hurt my heart."

"I wasn't sure if you could hear me." He whispered. "One day Usagi, I will tell you all about my past." She smiled, and kissed him softly.

"It doesn't matter." she said. "Right now matters. Right here matters. The past is something you have to let go of."

"You should take your own advice." He said with a smirk, and she batted at his arm playfully.

"Stay with me tonight Hiiro?" She asked, and he nodded, moving to lay down in her bed as she did, obliging when she laid her head upon his chest. She feared him leaving. Feared he wouldn't return. But this is what came with war. She knew it, but didn't have to like it. In the fading light she breathed him in, content in the moment. This too came from war. The knowledge that each moment that passed could be their last together. The want to enjoy every second, without pause.

She fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her, and dreamt of her Senshi, of Mamoru, and Chibi. They sat in a field of flowers laughing, talking, enjoying life. Before long, a storm came, and she remembered the feel of the rain, dancing in it with all of them. It was a fond memory. But just before she woke to morning light, something happened that she did not remember. Mamoru turned to her, in the pouring rain, his hair slick to his face, his eyes smiling, and said, "Let it go Usagi. We already have." And when she turned to look after the friends she missed so, dancing in the field, they were all stopped, staring at her with smiles that spoke of everlasting love.

She woke with tears in her eyes, and a smile.

...

She was trying to forgive herself. Trying to let go. She sat on the Veranda of Sanq Kingdom, which had quickly become her favorite place to be, so focused that she didn't hear Quatre make his approach. She was startled when he spoke, but smiled.

"Usagi." He said. "You seem well." She nodded, brushing at her shirt. She wore a red halter top, and black shorts. The scars on her shoulder were new to her, and her hands were drawn to them frequently. She resisted the urge to run her fingers over them again.

"The sunlight helps. I love the warmth." He sat next to her on one of the wooden deck chairs, and looked off into the distance. "The quiet is so deceiving, don't you think?"

"The calm before the storm. It never fails." He said. "I've grown used to it."

"As have I." She laughed a bit, amused at her own thoughts. "So beautiful in it's horridness." Quatre nodded. Smiling too. You found the beauty in all things, if you saw enough. Sometimes it took lifetimes...sometimes just one. She leaned her elbow on the table, resting her chin on her folded hand, thinking. "Quatre?" It was was soft, the beginning of a question that had just formed in her mind.

"Yes Usagi?" He sounded genuinely interested.

"I hope I'm not out of line... but how did you do it?" She looked at him, pure silver on light ocean blue.

"Do what?" She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, tore down the wall that kept her from her deepest feelings. There was a wave, invisible to him maybe, but soft silver in hue to her, that rushed toward him, and when it reached him, she watched sadly as he reeled in pain.

She drew it back into herself with a deep breath, and rebuilt the wall with haste, wishing not to cause him more pain. He breathed with her, in rhythm, and stared at her with tears in his eyes.

"Oh Quatre." She instantly felt sorry, and her hand reached out to him. He raised his own for her to stop. Her heart hurt to know what she had shown him, let him feel, had affected him so badly. "Gomen Nasai. I forget how sensitive you are."

"Usagi." His voice was soft, and he blinked the tears away. "What was that?"

She brought her hand back to her chest. She wished the locket were there. She had decided to leave it in the room. It distracted her. Or rather the thought of the man who made it play distracted her. She shook her head, and looked into the gardens.

"A manifestation that was the result of simultaneously losing everything I loved." She sighed. "You know Quatre? Sometimes I can almost hear them. Cheering me on. Telling me not to give up. But it hurts so much to remember them. To remember what I did to them." Her eyes were teary now. "I don't know how to accept them not being here with me."

"Usagi." His voice was laced with sadness this time, for her. She resented it.

"I don't want you to feel sorry for me." She whispered.

"And I don't." He said. "I just understand your pain. Do you think that I don't understand? That Hiiro, or Wufei, or Trowa, or Duo, or any of us, that have seen war, don't feel the same? I know you lost alot more than most have, but I've got to say Usagi, I don't understand how you can even be composed holding that amount of pain inside of you." He reached for her now, and took her hand. A warm flow of energy touched her, and beneath it, no, a part of it, there was freezing cold.

She stared at him, and he stared back. "The point isn't to hide from the pain. The point is to embrace it. They knew what they were doing when they laid their lives on the line for you. They would have rather died than hurt you. Didn't they die with smiles on their faces?"

She blinked. "We can, and we will." She whispered. She saw the understanding in his eyes. Felt it on his fingertips. "They were smiling."

"So was Iria." Quatre said. His influence had faded, but he still held her hand. "And it took awhile. For a moment, I was clinically insane, but I came back knowing she gave her life because she loved mine. And mourning her was destroying it."

She squeezed his hand, somber. "When they put me in my cell, I was sure I'd never see the sun again. My body was broken, my heart was broken. I had no will to live without them. I really wished my life had been ended too." She looked down, and then towards the garden. "I don't know what kept me alive."

"You do." Quatre said. "It was their image in your head. Their last words. Those last smiles. Usagi I haven't lost everything yet. But the memory of what I've lost during my weaknesses, that's what keeps me going. It doesn't make you weak to give into the pain. It makes you strong."

There was an awareness building as he spoke, colors at the edge of her mind. And then, a feeling. Some she hadn't felt in a long time. She reached forward and reached down his shirt without thinking, pulling up a silver key. It pulsed in her hand, flashed blue and turquoise. She stared at it in wonder.

"I was wondering when you would notice." Quatre said softly. She gripped the key in her hand, and closed her eyes, spreading her awareness out like a net. They snapped open again, and she whispered.

"All of you?" Quatre nodded.

"When they couldn't reach you, they came to us." Her heart hurt. In more ways than one. It was a dull ache. An ache for the friends she had lost, that she was finally letting seep into her consciousness, and an ache for the friends she had made. She should have known. especially after Wufei coming to her the other day, speaking of Rei and Makoto in his dreams.

She dropped the key, and it fell with a soft thump to Quatre's chest. Her power flared instantly, her eyes flashing as she called them to her. "Come to me now." She whispered it, knowing they would hear. Quatre looked surprised. She knew he could feel the pull towards her. Knew they all could. His key was glowing without her touch now.

"Usagi?" She smiled at him, softly.

"It's okay Quatre." She said. But she wondered, if it really would be.

...

Duo and Trowa had been sitting in the lounge together, watching the current news, when her voice echoed through the room. "Come to me now." He reached for the key that had been bestowed upon him as it suddenly burst to life, glowing deep purple and bright orange. Trowa's was glowing too. Dark green and Yellow. He looked at his comrade, and they stood together. There was a force that pulled them to the front of the house, a force they had no choice but to follow, so commanding was it.

...

Hiiro and Wufei had been training together in the woods. Wufei had stopped the fall of his fist in a millisecond, and stood paused, inches away from Hiiro's face. Hiiro stood with one foot in the air, in the middle of a roundhouse kick.

"Onna." Wufei grumbled, and looked down at the key he'd acquired from his dreams. It was glowing deep red and light green. Hiiro's followed a split second after, glowing a muddy forest green and...pink? He raised an eyebrow under Hiiro's glare, but followed him when he said, "Let's go."

...

Duo and Trowa appeared from the Bay doors, and Wufei and Hiiro from far off in the gardens, almost at the same time. The light that shone beneath their shirts was evident, and as she raised one hand, their keys pulled themselves from their shirts, thumping on their chests where she could see them.

"Do you understand the weight of what you have accepted?" She asked, and her voice was hard. Duo was the first to speak.

"I told you that you held my loyalty as you held theirs Usa."

"Hai Onna." Wufei said. "Don't get so bent out of shape." Her eyes blazed, but he did not back down. With a sigh, she stood, facing all of them.

"You don't understand." She shifted her gaze to each of them.

"No." Hiiro said, and her eyes softened on his. "We do." he stepped forward, and the lights from his key blazed from being so close to her. "You said once that you needed us to be your 'ace in the hole'. We are now."

She reached out as he reached for her, and buried herself in his chest in one swift movement. "He can find you now." She whispered, her voice broken. "He can see you now. Better than he could before." She looked up into Hiiro's eyes. "These keys are a beacon on your chests that say come for me. I can't lose all of you too!"

"You won't Usagi." Wufei said. "Not ever. You never lost your friends from before. Doesn't this prove it?" He clasped the key around his neck, stifling it's glow with his hand. "Before this, you were asking us to fight an enemy we couldn't hope to match. The power was given to us, to rise to his level, and you're acting like it's the worst thing that could have happened. Stop being scared and believe in us like we believe in you. Your friends did."

She closed her eyes, ashamed. Wufei was right. They were all right. They wanted to fight with her, and her court had entrusted them with great power to do so. And here she was lecturing them on the dangers. She had forgotten for a moment who they were, in the fear that had clouded her heart and mind. They were warriors too. "Gomen Nasai Minna." She said, and stepped back from Hiiro's embrace. He let go of her reluctantly, his eyes cool and calm. She took a deep breath, and smiled as best she could. "I suppose then, we should start your training."

There was a collective nod. Goddess how they amazed her.

...

They sat under the cool shade of the cherry blossom trees in the garden. It was August 1st now, and they were heavy with fragrance. It occurred to her that her birthday had passed, sometime while she had been held in Tenshu's cell. She shivered at the memory, turned her mind to other things. Like the task at hand.

"So how exactly are we supposed to do this?" Duo asked. He was laying in the grass on his back. The light that filtered in through the trees dappled his body.

"To be truthful I've never had any scouts with combination powers." She said. She twirled a leaf she had picked up from the ground in between two fingers lazily. "This is a new to me as it is to you."

Wufei snorted. "Well that helps." She stuck her tongue out at him and blew a raspberry.

"There are never instructions that come with these powers. In the past, I had my Guardian Luna to guide me." Her heart skipped a beat. She never found out what had happened to her most trusted advisor and friend. She, Artemis and Diana had not traveled with them to their fight on the moon. Another time. She chided herself. Not right now. It was getting harder to organize her thoughts. "But even she could not tell me how to use my power. It was something innate. That came with the desire to get stronger. Comsos is my ultimate transformation. But there were four others in between." She sighed. "My best guess would to be call out the planets you've been attached to."

Quatre was fingering the key around his neck thoughtfully. She watched him with curious eyes. "Mercury and Neptune." He whispered, almost to himself. A light came to his eyes then, and she watched in wonder as the words spilled from his mouth like old friends.

"Mercury, Neptune, unlock!" All eyes turned to him as water droplets formed from nothing, and swirled about him like a small tornado, freezing for a moment before bursting into a billion tiny particles and falling away. He was still seated, looking just as surprised as everyone else was.

He wore now, something akin to a mens Kimono, though it was cut short on one side and long on the other, with loose gi type pants. It was dark blue in color, with turquoise trim. On the right side of the breast, was a silver crescent moon. His feet were clad in dark blue tabi's, and a sword hung at his side, sheathed in a blue that matched his outfit. The pommel was turquoise. On his forehead, shone the symbols of Mercury and Neptune, intertwined.

"Thank the Gods." Wufei said. And everyone turned to him. "If he had ended up in a skirt, I would have thrown this thing away." Usagi couldn't help it, she laughed hysterically. When she could breathe again, she turned to Quatre.

"How did it come to you?" She asked.

He was looking at his hands, which she now noticed were clad in fish net to the knuckles. It seemed to travel under his robes everywhere. It peeked from beneath his kimono shirt as well. "I just figured a key, should unlock." He said, still mildly dazed.

Hiiro was the next to try. He didn't speak as loudly as Quatre. It was more of a whisper. "Moon, Earth, unlock." A flurry of cherry blossoms not from the trees rose into the air, mixed with dark green leaves and fine dust. When they settled he was in a black Kimono and Gi pants that matched Quatre's in style. The trimmings were dark green, and the tabi's were black. The gloves that covered his hands were pure black and covered only his palms. He wore a sword as well. The pommel decorated with a light pink gem. He glared at it as if he could make it change color. On his forehead, shone a silver crescent moon, and the symbol for Earth.

Not be outdone, Duo tried next. "Venus, Saturn, Unlock!" He was still lying down, and the flurry of dark purple waves and bright orange flower petals lifted him from the ground for a moment, blowing back her hair. He was dropped unceremoniously with an 'oof'. She laughed despite herself. "Whoa." He whispered, and pushed himself up, looking himself over. His kimono was a deep purple, trimmed with gold, with matching gi pants. He too had the crescent moon on his breast, and the symbols of Venus and Saturn upon his brow. His tabi's matched the purple of his robes. Instead of gloves, his hands and legs and chest were wrapped in black bandage. He held no sword. Smiling he stood, and she watched in wonder as he raised his hand, and there in it appeared a glaive that was taller than he was. The staff was black, the blade a shimmering silver.

"It's innate." She said. "Your weapon is fashioned like Saturn's." He smiled wide.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." He looked at Wufei and Trowa.

They both stood together, and called out simultaneously.

"Mars, Jupiter, Unlock!"

"Pluto, Uranus, Unlock."

Wufei was covered in flame for a moment, which was extinguished by a bright flash of light that made her shield her eyes. Dark green leaves drifted down afterwards, burnt and mixed with ash. Trowa had been encased in dark green energy and circles of deep yellow bound together. When she could see past the dots in her vision, she beheld them.

Trowa wore a dark green Kimono trimmed in yellow and gi pants that matched. His forehead shone with the symbols of Pluto and Uranus. His tabi's matched his kimono, and underneath, he seemed to be wrapped in a thin golden chain mail. A sword with a large yellow pommel hung at his side. He carried the crescent as well, as did Wufei. The Chinese man was clad in deep red trimmed with black. Beneath his kimono was a dark green fishnet. His tabi's were black, and his blade held a pommel of dark green.

"Unreal." Usagi said. The power that flowed from them made her dizzy with new promise and old memories. Wufei had drawn his sword. It was shaped like his trusty katana, though the hilt was more ornate. He looked proud of it.

She realized they were all looking at her. She smiled, and took a deep breath, letting the changes that came with being Cosmos come over her. She did not fully transform. Just enough to do what she needed. She'd been holding a thin barrier over their exercise, and it flared dark purple as her power came to her fingertips. She raised her hands, and above them, materialized six earpieces. They were all silver.

"Here." One dropped in her hand, and the others drifted to each man, dropping in their outstretched palms. They were sitting in a circle now. "These are communication devices. Just thinking about it will open a direct link to me, or one another. Separately or at the same time."

"Sweet." Duo said. There were shorts flashes of light as each knight touched his key, and they de-transformed. She let her own features return with theirs.

"Transforming takes energy." She said. "Be careful of how you use it. At this time I can't begin to guess the extent of your power. But it will come if you call. You must take care not to exhaust yourselves."

"You worry too much Usagi." Trowa said with a soft smirk.

"If I could help it I would stop." She said. "You leave tomorrow." She grew somber. Duo reached out and put a hand on her leg. When she looked at him he was smiling.

"Usa..." he said. "We know what we're doing." She opened her mouth and to her surprise Quatre shushed her.

"You're not healed enough yet to come with us and you know it. Believe in Us Usagi."

"I do." She said, and meant it whole heartedly. It did not staunch the worry in her heart, but it was true. "I believe in all of you."

...

_**So it starts. The G-boys have revealed the powers given to them, and are ready to fight Chaos will. But how in all hell do they use these powers? With little time to learn and so many lives resting on their success, will they break? Even I don't know. Find out next time. **_


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